LUKA Mania has officially hit Manila.
Slovenia star Luka Doncic quietly arrived in the Philippines on Monday with his team after going through the first two rounds in Okinawa where they clinched a seat in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup.
A few hours after arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport via a chartered flight, Doncic and Co. went straight to work through an hour-long shootaround at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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Slovenia is set to face Canada on Wednesday with the winner going through to the semifinals, while also stepping even closer to an Olympic berth in Paris.
Slovenia coach Aleksander Sekulic is aware of the popularity of the Dallas Mavericks star in the Philippines, which he said the team can bank on as they try to go deep into the playoff round.
“Basketball is very popular [here]. Having Luka on the team makes us even more popular. It’s obvious. It’s a good feeling to be here playing in the quarterfinals,” said Sekulic.
“I’m really looking forward to the games. I hope you are going to have good support. Having Luka on the team helps us a lot I hope,” Sekulic added.
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With Doncic leading the charge, Slovenia won four straight games before falling to Germany, 100-71, on Sunday in Okinawa, Japan.
Doncic’s commitment to the national team has been well-documented and Sekulic said the team has been fortunate.
“We are very lucky that we have such player as Luka. And then we are even luckier that he is ready to play no matter what for the national team. That’s a privilege for us, for the country, and this shows why he is a great player because he loves basketball and he loves his country. That’s why he is here, no matter what,” said Doncic.
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