Throughout his years leading the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic has rarely been the kind of leader who relies on fiery speeches or outward displays of emotion. Instead, the five-time All-Star is considered someone who leads his team through his on-court performance rather than through animated moments on the bench. Yet, as he now desperately tries to guide Slovenia to long-awaited success at the 2025 EuroBasket Tournament, fans have witnessed a new side of him.
In a viral clip from Slovenia’s most recent game, Docnic was caught losing his temper at teammate Edo Muric, demanding more focus, attentiveness and sharpness on the court.
Advertisement
New-look Luka Doncic loses his temper
For a national team like Slovenia, the road doesn’t seem as smooth as for teams like Serbia or Germany, both of whom have great depth on their roster. As a result, unlike Slovenia, they do not depend on a lone superstar to lead them to success.
Slovenia, as reliant as they have been on Luka, has rarely managed to win games despite him putting up stellar performances. They won just one of their exhibition games in the build-up to the tournament and lost both their opening group stage games. Naturally, Luka’s patience ran thin. So, when Slovenian power forward Muric couldn’t hold his own against Belgian players in the paint, Luka was at his angriest in letting Muric know that it was about time to pull up his socks.
Advertisement
View the original article to see embedded media.
The message clearly landed as Slovenian players responded with more intense play and better commitment on the hardwood. While Luka became only the fifth player to register a triple-double at the tournament, finishing with a 26-point, 11-assist and 10-rebound performance, Slovenia ensured they defeated Belgium 86-69 after outscoring them 43-38 in the second half.
Doncic needs his teammates to be at their best
Several nations, including Serbia, Turkey, Finland, Germany, Poland, and Greece, have already sealed their places in the next stage of the tournament. For Slovenia, the math is simple: win their final two group stage games if they do not intend to rely on any other nation to progress.
Advertisement
Considering their next game is against Iceland, a team that has yet to win a single game in the tournament, that contest offers Slovenia a crucial opportunity to build momentum, but it will require more than just Doncic putting up numbers – it demands a collective team effort.
Statistically, Doncic has been stellar in the competition so far. Not only has he become the youngest player to drop 400 points in EuroBasket, but across his three appearances, Luka has averaged 33 points, 7.3 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 3.3 steals. And despite those numbers, Slovenia has managed to register just one win so far. Which means that if they wish to contend in the knockout stages, they will require more than just their reliance on ‘Luka Magic’
That being said, while this new leadership version of Doncic, ready to hold his teammates accountable and be more communicative, leaves a lasting impression, it remains to be seen if this attitude can lead him to more team success.
Advertisement
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 1, 2025, where it first appeared in the International section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.