The basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics will feature some of the NBA’s biggest stars. However, Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic won’t be among them.
Doncic and Slovenia failed to secure the ticket for Paris after suffering a heavy 96-68 loss to Greece in the semifinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament. Greece is now scheduled to play Croatia in the final, with the winner getting the Olympic berth.
Doncic did all he could to keep Slovenia in the game, scoring a game-high 21 points and adding seven rebounds and five assists. However, this wasn’t enough, as Greece managed to build up an early lead and keep it largely intact. Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 13 points and four rebounds for Greece while also delivering stifling defense.
“They played way better than us. They were way more aggressive,” Doncic said. “I think they have an amazing team. Obviously, they have Giannis. But other pieces are very important for them too. And they’re very well-coached. … They outplayed us today.”
Failing to qualify for the Olympics comes as a significant disappointment for Slovenia, especially considering they finished fourth at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
