When Poland stunned Slovenia in the EuroBasket 2025 opener, the spotlight shifted to an unexpected hero. Jordan Loyd, a 32-year-old guard who recently gained Polish citizenship, erupted for 32 points and helped his team secure a 105-95 victory over Luka Doncic’s squad. His red-hot shooting raised eyebrows across Europe, and many fans who hadn’t followed his career closely started asking the same question: did Jordan Loyd ever play in the NBA, or has he only built his reputation overseas.

The question isn’t random. Loyd’s name is not as widely recognized in NBA circles as Doncic’s, yet his performance placed him in direct comparison with one of the game’s brightest stars. While Doncic is known worldwide as an MVP candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers, Loyd’s path has been quieter, moving through Europe’s top clubs before landing with AS Monaco. With his sudden rise as Poland’s newest naturalized player, it is fair to trace back whether the guard once walked NBA floors himself.

The answer is yes. Jordan Loyd did play in the NBA, though briefly, during the 2018-19 season with the Toronto Raptors. He signed a two-way deal in August 2018, debuting on October 29 that year. Across 12 regular-season games, he averaged 2.4 points in 4.6 minutes per appearance. His run may have been short, but it placed him on a championship roster that would go on to win the title. After that stint, Loyd chose Europe as his proving ground, turning into a steady scorer with Valencia, Crvena zvezda, Zenit Petersburg, and later Monaco. His NBA numbers might be modest, but the experience gave him credibility before launching into his successful European chapter.

Loyd’s path to representing Poland took a decisive turn in August 2025 when President Andrzej Duda officially signed his citizenship papers. This move filled the naturalized-player slot previously held by A.J. Slaughter, who had spent nearly a decade as Poland’s main foreign-born contributor. Almost immediately, Loyd began delivering for his adopted country. Against Sweden on August 9, he tallied 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three, in just 19 minutes. Even in a heavy loss to Finland on August 21, he still managed a team-high 17 points. Through multiple preparation games, he averaged 14.3 points in just over 20 minutes, showing efficiency and maturity. These performances set the stage for his breakout against Slovenia, where he directly outshone Doncic on one of the biggest nights of his career.

Doncic and Loyd’s clash made for a fascinating study in contrasts. Doncic, at 26, is already an NBA superstar averaging 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists across seven seasons. Loyd, meanwhile, owns just 12 NBA games on his résumé but has carved out a strong EuroLeague career, with a peak season of 17.3 points per game at Crvena zvezda in 2020-21. Their EuroBasket meeting flipped the script momentarily, with Loyd dropping 32 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Doncic scored 34 and dished nine assists, but his team fell short. The duel highlighted just how different their career paths have been, yet how basketball on any given night can tell a new story.

This moment for Poland carries added weight beyond individual stats. The national team co-hosts EuroBasket 2025, entering the tournament with expectations after a semifinal run in 2022. Losing Jeremy Sochan to injury was a setback, but Loyd’s addition gives them a fresh scoring punch. His citizenship and instant chemistry with teammates like Mateusz Ponitka underline Poland’s determination to remain competitive. His EuroLeague career averages of 13.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists demonstrate his development into a reliable contributor at basketball’s highest level outside the NBA. And for fans curious about his past, the fact that Loyd once suited up in the NBA adds another layer to his story, now intertwined with EuroBasket history.

Jordan Loyd vs Luka Doncic: Same stage, different stories

The head-to-head in Katowice was more than just another game; it was a showcase of two very different basketball journeys converging. Doncic, who started his professional career at Real Madrid at 16 and later won EuroLeague MVP before moving to the NBA, represents the pinnacle of sustained elite performance. Loyd, undrafted in 2016, worked his way through smaller European clubs and earned his chance on the big stage much later.

In the numbers, the gap is obvious. Doncic has over 450 NBA games with averages near 29 points, while Loyd’s NBA log stops at 12 appearances. Yet on August 27, those backgrounds didn’t matter. Loyd connected on seven threes and matched Doncic bucket for bucket, energizing a home crowd and proving that efficiency in key moments can outweigh long résumés. Loyd’s 32-point explosion came on historically efficient shooting, particularly from beyond the arc where he connected on 7 of 8 attempts from the deep. For Poland, it wasn’t just about stats, but the symbolic victory of having their new citizen lead the way against one of the best in the world.

Still, the broader picture remains. Doncic’s scoring consistency across hundreds of NBA and international contests makes him a generational star. Loyd’s outburst was a career highlight, built on a perfect storm of form, momentum, and opportunity. The difference is clear, but the beauty lies in the reminder that basketball allows room for both narratives. On one hand, the proven global icon. On the other, the late-blooming guard who once had a taste of the NBA and is now seizing his moment for Poland on Europe’s biggest stage.