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Nov 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Nov 16, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Imago
Nov 10, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Nov 16, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
European basketball is in full swing, and two of the brightest NBA stars, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, are soon set to lead their national teams into the EuroBasket 2025 field against each other. However, before we get to that potential basketball thunderstorm, let us understand the shaping of this tournament into a European hoops juggernaut.
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EuroBasket might feel significantly different to viewers used to 82 game regular season. The tournament begins with 24 teams, which are split into four groups of six. Slovenia, led by Doncic, finds itself in Group D, alongside France, Poland, Israel, Belgium, and Iceland. Serbia headlines Group A, which features Turkey, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Estonia, and Portugal.
Meanwhile, the group stage, which runs from August 27 to September 4, will be played across four cities: Riga in Latvia, Katowice in Poland, Tampere in Finland, and Limassol in Cyprus. During this stage, each team plays a total of five games, where a win nets two points but a loss still earns one. Then comes the Round of 16 in Riga, Latvia, the beginning of the knockout stage. The format for the knockout matchups is clear:
- A1 vs. B4
- A2 vs. B3
- B1 vs. A4
- B2 vs. A3
- C1 vs. D4
- C2 vs. D3
- D1 vs. C4
- D2 vs. C3
Being in separate halves of the bracket, Slovenia and Serbia’s next meeting will depend on how they finish in their respective groups. Fans may have to wait until September 12 or 14, when the semifinals and final are played at the Xioami Arena in Riga, Latvia.
Will Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic meet for a showdown?
On August 21, Jokic and Doncic will meet in Belgrade for a warm-up game, and tickets are already impossible to find. Serbian basketball president Nebojsa Covic said the federation is “trying to carefully manage the intense demand.” These two don’t just represent countries; they represent legacies. Luka is trying to put Slovenia back on the podium after years of inconsistency. While Jokic, still heartbroken from Serbia’s early exit in 2022, is locked in to bring the title home for the first time since 2001. Slovenia last lifted the trophy in 2017, beating Serbia in the final. Luka was just 18.
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August 17, 2022, Ljubjlana, Slovenia: Luka Doncic 77 of Slovenia and Nikola Jokic 15 of Serbia during the International Friendly, Länderspiel, Nationalmannschaft basketball between Slovenia and Serbia at Arena Stozice. Ljubjlana Slovenia – ZUMAs197 20220817_zaa_s197_124 Copyright: xMilosxVujinovicx
Serbia is riding a 6-0 record in friendlies. Jokic is back focused, despite his well-documented love for horses and quiet life. He dropped 23 points and 19 rebounds against Greece, becoming the cornerstone for coach Svetislav Pesic’s championship hopes. Luka Doncic, on the other hand, after a new conditioning program, a slimmer frame, and a deeper commitment to defense, has Slovenian fans dreaming big. Despite tweaking his knee during a warmup loss to Latvia, Doncic avoided serious injury and returned to practice just days later.
That first made the possibility of a heavyweight semifinal or final between two of the best players quite believable. While Slovenia still needs to get its first win in warmups, if both make it to the semis, it’ll settle one of the biggest debates in global basketball.
