Watch: Nikola Jokic's fellow Serbians heckle Slovenia fans with "Luka Doncic is one of us" chants before Euro 2024 match
Serbian fans used Luka Doncic to heckle Slovenian fans on Thursday ahead of their 2024 Euro match. Although Luka Doncic is from Slovenia, and his mom is Slovenian, his father is Slovenian of Serbian descent. Because of the fact that his father has Serbian ancestry, Serbian fans used the situation to troll Slovenian fans at the 2024 Euro match on Thursday.
Footage captured by fans shows ultras from both countries filling the street, with Polezei separating them in order to keep the peace. After a massive brawl broke out between fans of Turkey and Georgia earlier in the week, tensions have been high as security looks to keep things from getting out of hand.
The camera pans back and forth over the crowd, with Serbian fans chanting, in Serbian, that Luka Doncic is one of them. Check out the clip below.
Of course, during the NBA Finals, while speaking to media members, Doncic was asked for his Euro 2024 prediction.
Unsurprisingly, the Dallas Mavericks star immediately threw his support behind Slovenia to win, making it clear that despite his father having Serbian ancestry, his heart is with his home country of Slovenia.
Will Luka Doncic be representing Slovenia at the Olympics?
Given that Luka Doncic previously competed for Slovenia at the FIBA World Cup, many fans have been wondering whether or not he will be suiting up for the Olympics. The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will see have several weeks of action on the basketball court from Jul. 27 through Aug. 11
While many countries have already qualified, Slovenia will be looking to earn their spot through the qualification tournament. Given that, and the fact that he's fresh off a long postseason, Doncic has been noncommittal about competing for Slovenia.
While speaking to media members after he and the Mavericks' Game 5 loss to the Celtics, Doncic spoke about his offseason plans and the Olympics:
"I don't want to talk about what's next, man. I have some decisions to make. I'm just trying to get a little bit healthier. We'll talk -- we have interviews in two days, right? So I'll give you an answer then."
While fans anxiously await Doncic's decision, Slovenian standout Vlatko Cancar made it clear that he doesn't blame the NBA star for sitting out the Olympics. After an extended season that saw Luka Doncic fight through injuries in the playoffs, it's no surprise that he may want to take some time off to recover.
Slovenia will be playing in their first Olympic qualifying game against Croatia on Jul. 2 in Greece, meaning Doncic only has a limited window to declare his eligibility. Whether or not he decides to suit up for the Olympic qualifiers, only time will tell.