The FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Round of 16 delivered drama, upsets, and heart-stopping moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats. But all eyes now turn to Riga, Latvia, where the stakes are even higher: the quarterfinal showdown between Slovenia and Germany. This clash is a collision of contrasting basketball philosophies, each with its own identity, style, and expectations. Recently, German outlet Die Welt weighed in on the matchup, and their bold take has ignited debate, with some fans even labeling it borderline disrespectful to the Slovenian squad.

There’s no doubt that Germany has been arguably the most dominant team at the competition so far, with them being only one of two teams boasting a perfect record (the other is Turkey, 6-0 till the round of 16). However, on the other hand, Slovenia has also looked pretty solid for most of the competition apart from the two games in the group stage. So much so that many might not be able to pick Dennis Schroder and Co. as the clear favorites in this quarter-finals matchup. But the renowned German publishing house not only tipped their nation to be the winner, according to them, it won’t even be close.

“The German team is still undefeated at the European Basketball Championship thanks to a deep, high-quality squad. Slovenia, on the other hand, relies on its eccentric superstar, whose madness is never far away. The quarterfinals will now see an uneven clash.” ‘Die Welt‘ wrote.

It’s a brutal take: one that dismisses the collective effort of the Slovenian roster as if their victories, including a gritty triumph over a formidable Italian side, never happened. To reduce Slovenia’s entire campaign to “Doncic and his madness” not only oversimplifies their path to the quarterfinals but also borders on disrespect toward a team that has repeatedly punched above its weight. And as if that wasn’t harsh enough, the outlet went a step further, turning its fire squarely on Luka Doncic with even sharper words.

“The fact that, despite his abilities, the team has not achieved more than a participation in the NBA Finals with Dallas in 2024 in recent years is not really appropriate for his extraordinary potential, but is by no means surprising for many observers. The list of his misdeeds and failures is too long. The indictment: too lazy, too fat, too satisfied.” They further added. Well, the five-time All-NBA guard is still in the hunt for his maiden ring. Does that mean he’s a wasted potential? Nope.

Die Welt overlooked one crucial reality: Luka Doncic is no ordinary “eccentric superstar.” At just 25, he didn’t simply “appear” in the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks; he dragged them there through the Western Conference, a feat that requires more than just talent. In a league where even established contenders struggle to maintain consistency year after year, Luka has kept Dallas competitive, relevant, and feared, and that’s the reason why the entire North Texas came down heavy on Nico Harrison.

And while some critics still frame the conversation around LeBron James eventually passing the torch, the reality is different. The torch has already been lit in Luka’s hands by the Lakers front office itself, and his involvement in the Marcus Smart trade was a clear sign of the same.

But perhaps Die Welt’s biggest blind spot is what’s still to come. Luka hasn’t even reached his ceiling—he has at least five or six prime years ahead to cement himself not just as Europe’s best, but as one of the defining players of this generation. And yet, instead of acknowledging that, the outlet doubled down, dismissing his impact with an accusation so brazen it bordered on disrespect.

“Business as usual”: German media doesn’t believe in the Doncic 2.0 hype

It has been an eventful summer for Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, as the point guard made huge waves in the basketball world by losing around 30lbs over the offseason. While many believe this is the reason he’s been so effective and dominating at the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, the same cannot be said for ‘Die Welt’, which claimed that the Purple & Gold team that traveled to Europe, featuring the likes of GM Rob Pelinka, former boss Jeanie Buss, and others did not see any differences, except of the fact that Luka looks better.

“The Lakers’ management, who traveled to the European Championship, has yet to see any signs of a downturn. Especially in the first two group games, the losses against Poland (95-105) and France (95-103), everything was essentially business as usual: Doncic scored spectacularly high points with 34 and 39, had good rebounding and shooting percentage statistics, but appeared physically exhausted at the end. So, everything was business as usual, except he just looks better.” They wrote.

Now, even though the popular publishing house claimed this, they did not provide any proof about whether these words came from Pelinka and Co. If anything, Luka Doncic has been phenomenal, and the Lakers management would be happy with the work he’s been putting in throughout the offseason. After all, he’s leading the scoring charts in this year’s Eurobasket, averaging 34 points along with 8.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists (second-highest). So, it’s safe to say that apart from helping him look better, Doncic’s hard work has also helped his game, contrary to what the German media thinks.