LJUBLJANA (Slovenia) - The winners of FIBA EuroBasket 2017 are back for another shot at the title. It will be their 15th consecutive showing on the big stage and a continuation of a perfect run - Slovenia have made it to the EuroBasket in every instance since gaining independence and debuting in 1993.
Slovenia have only made the Semi-Finals once besides the time they claimed the title - it was in 2009 when they finished fourth. They are also one of the hosts for the 2029 edition and surely they will do everything they can to play on the home soil as the defending champions.
Their first and only reign as European champions came to an end at the hands of Poland in 2022, and they will have the chance to extract revenge in their opponents' backyard this time around. Much will rest upon the shoulders of superstar Luka Doncic if they are to enjoy success, even with the ever-reliable supporting cast.
Schedule
August 28: vs Poland (20:30 CET) August 30: vs France (17:00 CET) August 31: vs Belgium (14:00 CET) September 2: vs Iceland (17:00 CET) September 4: vs Israel (17:00 CET)
Star Player
Being one of the biggest global basketball stars in general, it comes as no surprise that Slovenia's ambition will lie largely on the shoulders of Luka Doncic. The Slovenian prodigy had made his EuroBasket debut in 2017 and won the title in his first try and that's the high he'll aim to replicate this year.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar caught the attention this summer with his physical transformation so we can expect the best version of Doncic, and that sounds scary if we know what he can do on any given night. His ability to do everything with the basketball - score, pass, rebound and make the big play makes him one of the best in the world and Slovenia can surely dream big as long as they have Luka.
Last time we saw him in the national team jersey, Doncic averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in the summer of 2024, but even those near triple-double figures weren't enough to push Slovenia into the Olympic Tournament in Paris. However, Doncic and Slovenia are coming again and that should alert their opponents.
History
While the 2017 run remains one of the most impressive of all time in FIBA EuroBasket history, it wasn't the only time Slovenia reached the knockout stages of this competition.
They were fourth back in 2009, losing the Semi-Finals to Serbia in overtime, and the Third-Place Game by a single point to Greece. Slovenia were also fifth at home in 2013, and have a pair of sixth placed finishes, including in the last edition in 2022.
Champions: 2017
EuroBasket Top Scorers
Rank | Player | Games | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Goran Dragic | 51 | 696 |
2. | Ivo Daneu | 50 | 515 |
3. | Jaka Lakovic | 51 | 509 |
4. | Erazem Lorbek | 35 | 375 |
5. | Rasho Nesterovic | 29 | 327 |
6. | Bostjan Nachbar | 30 | 324 |
7. | Zoran Dragic | 34 | 331 |
8. | Luka Doncic | 16 | 311 |
9. | Jure Zdovc | 28 | 281 |
10. | Matjaz Smodis | 31 | 256 |
How they qualified
Gameday 1: SLO 87-73 UKR Gameday 2: SLO 88-79 ISR Gameday 3: POR 82-74 SLO Gameday 4: SLO 83-82 POR Gameday 5: UKR 71-84 SLO Gameday 6: ISR 84-74 SLO
Poll: Where will they finish?
Tickets
FIBA