LUKA Doncic expressed his appreciation for Filipino fans who trooped to the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday to watch him and Slovenia compete against Canada for a semifinal berth in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Doncic led the way with 26 points, four rebounds, and five assists before receiving a second technical foul and getting ejected from the game with 6:37 left in the fourth quarter.
Slovenia eventually lost to Canada 100-89.
Doncic later expressed his frustration with the referees in an interview, stating, “I know I complained a lot, but I don’t think it’s fair. They’ve been playing very physically with me, but if you say that, it’s not fair.”
Even though the NBA star had a tough night, Doncic displayed sportsmanship and congratulated Canada.
Doncic also thanked his Filipino fans for supporting him.
“You know, I really appreciate the love. It’s been amazing, so many fans, and they support me,’’ the 24-year-old said.
Slovenia will play against Italy on Saturday to determine which team finishes the tournament in seventh place.
Who is Luka Doncic?
Regarded as one of the greatest European basketball players of all time, Doncic, a 6-foot-7 forward-guard, was selected third overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.
He currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks, where he averaged 32.4 points and eight assists per game in the 2022–2023 season.
