Will Luka Doncic play for Slovenia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
After the Dallas Mavericks got eliminated in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs, their superstar Luka Doncic immediately took off for his home country, Slovenia.
He doesn't intend to rest in the off-season or take time off for leisure. Instead, Luka Doncic wishes to represent his nation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and hopes to help them qualify for the quadrennial Summer Games.
NBA fans around the world wish to see Slovenia drawing the USA in the competition to catch a matchup of multiple NBA superstars going head-to-head.
"No Vacation," says Luka Doncic as he intends to help Slovenia qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Luka Doncic left for Slovenia almost immediately after his NBA postseason came to an end. Most NBA stars take time off to heal their bodies and rest in order to prepare for the next NBA season.
However, the 22-year-old star had other plans and said about his decision to play in the Summer Games:
"That's my next goal: qualify Slovenia to the Olympics. Going to be heading back to Slovenia to start practicing, so no vacation."
He played in a friendly game against Croatia and recorded a remarkable statline of 10 points, 17 assists and seven rebounds. Given the competition in the NBA, playing in Europe must certainly be easier for him, as he dishes dimes and dunks on players.
However, the said game was only an exhibition. The Slovenian national men's basketball team is preparing for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Lithuania.
They will be competing with five other teams in the tournament, and the winner will qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Slovenia play their first game of the competition on June 30th against Angola, and Doncic has said he is pretty confident of his team qualifying for the Summer Games.
Luka Doncic doesn't have his eye off the NBA, though. He is expected to sign a $200+ million deal in the coming off-season. He is joined by the Dallas Mavericks' director of player health and performance, Casey Smith, who will guide him in Slovenia.
Expect multiple monster performances by Luka Doncic in the Qualifying Tournament and possibly the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as well.
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