Luka Doncic quips about his father’s Euroleague stint while highlighting Sasa Doncic’s impact on his basketball journey: “He was okay”

Every great athlete starts somewhere, and for LA Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, his journey began under his father’s guidance. Doncic is a special guest on a special “Mind the Game” episode, to be released on Sunday. A teaser for the guest episode was posted on X, where Doncic and Steve Nash talked about the former’s roots.

In the teaser, Nash asked Doncic how his love affair with basketball began. Doncic responded by telling Nash that he excelled at basketball despite also playing soccer, tennis and volleyball.

Nash asked him if part of it was because his father, Sasa Doncic, was a “great” player in the Euroleague. The younger Doncic jokingly took a shot at his dad, who was also present during the episode, as a response to Nash.

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"He was okay," Doncic said. "I went to his games. When I started being ball boy, I was a ball boy during Euroleague games and for Olimpija, so that's how I used my time to get on basketball. Before the game, halftime and after the game, I was just shooting."

Sasa played one season in the Euroleague for Olimpija (2007-08). He averaged 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13 games that year.

Also read: Mavericks CEO Rick Welts was shockingly kept in the dark about the seismic Luka Doncic trade

Former LA Lakers champion doesn't think Luka Doncic and LeBron James can win a title together

The LA Lakers' window to win a title with LeBron James and Luka Doncic is rapidly closing. Even if Doncic agrees to sign an extension to remain with LA, James is headed for retirement soon. While LA's front office will likely do its best to maximize its window, a former Lakers champion doesn't think they'll be able to.

Danny Green, a member of the 2020 LA title squad, shared his thoughts on "All the Smoke." He was prompted to share his opinion after Stephen Jackson asked him if he thinks LA will win a chip with the Doncic-James duo.

"No, I don't think so," Green said (Timeline: 1:00). "I think they're explosive offensively, I think they lack a lot defensively. As great as 'Bron is(...) I don't know how many years he has left. I think it's really hard to win a championship when your best player is 40."

LeBron James, who turned 40 in December last year, averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists through 70 games last season. Some of the ball-handling responsibilities were taken off his hands with the arrival of Luka Doncic.

However, they need to address concerns with their big man depth as well as their defense.

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About the author

Miguel de Guzman

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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