Luka Doncic and his $120 million rival predicted to go head-to-head for major honor as Boban Marjanovic’s true feelings revealed

Boban Marjanovic is confident that his fellow Europeans will dominate the 2025-26 NBA MVP race. The former Houston Rockets center believes Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic will have a fierce battle for the Michael Jordan Trophy.

Marjanovic was asked on Monday for his thoughts on Doncic’s upcoming season, particularly if the LA Lakers superstar could finally capture the coveted award. While he expressed strong belief in Doncic’s chances, Marjanovic said Jokic, who has a net worth of $120 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), will also be a formidable contender.

Marjanovic had nothing but praise for Doncic and vouched for his work ethic.

“Luka is the best,” Marjanovic said, via Yahoo Sports. “Between him and Jokic, one of them needs to be. I believe, like I know they’ll give their best. He’s always in the gym, he always works out, he always competes. I know how much effort he worked with this summer and how he worked all these years that we know each other.”

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Jokic has dominated the award in recent years, winning the league MVP three times in the last five seasons.

Meanwhile, Doncic has yet to win it. However, his name has frequently been in the conversation. Since 2020, he has placed in the top eight of MVP voting each year, including last season.

Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic will battle for a EuroBasket medal

Ahead of the 2025-2026 NBA training camp, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic are preparing for the 2025 EuroBasket tournament with redemption on their minds. Slovenia and Serbia failed to reach the podium in the 2022 edition, and both superstars are eager to restore national pride.

Doncic’s Slovenian team was drawn into Group D alongside Iceland, France, Poland, Belgium and Israel. Meanwhile, Serbia will compete in Group A against Portugal, Estonia, Latvia, Turkey and Czechia.

Preparation for the tournament is underway, with different results for the two teams. Serbia has been flawless, with a 4-0 record following victories over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Greece and Cyprus.

Slovenia has yet to find its footing, dropping both of its matchups against Germany. They lost 103-89 in Ljubljana on Friday, and 80-70 in Mannheim on Sunday.

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About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia is an NBA, WNBA, and tennis journalist at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in the field with The SportsRush.

Advait has a love of basketball that stems from playing the game, and has represented Mumbai North at the Inter-District State Championship and Maharashtra at the ASISC National Games.

His favorite team is the New Orleans Pelicans, although Advait also has an affinity for the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. His favorite player of all time was Kobe Bryant, as the Lakers legend's undeniable talent and mentality were just unignorable. As for players in the current game, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama, and Kyrie Irving are top of Advait's list.

When not watching or writing about sports, Advait is a fan of true crime shows, board games and console gaming.

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