Sometimes the role of the president is to stop fights from escalating. That’s why Luka Doncic‘s father had to do so over the weekend to stop a former nine-year NBA veteran and current KK Ilirija’s star. With the place in the finals against Cedevita Olimpija, the NBA’s gentle giant, Boban Marjanovic, got upset, and multiple people had to intervene.

In the fourth quarter, with 6:06 remaining, Marjanovic got ejected after committing a hard foul on an opponent. Before he was ejected, the tempers were flaring since the scoreboard was not in favor of Ilirija. Boban Marjanovic’s team was down 83-63 and tried to make an attempt to close the gap. But he was double-teamed and went to the ground, but the foul was never called.

Taking exception to the hit, the 7-feet-4 star ran back and ran straight into Krka’s Blaz Mahkovic. Then, as Mahkovic was down, Boban Marjanovic started arguing, standing right beside him, and would argue with other Krka players on the court. The Krka fans were celebrating to the former NBA star’s frustration. After receiving his marching orders from the hardwood, Marjanovic escalated the tension.

The fans at Leon Stukelj Hall in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, provoked him with their chants and celebrations, and Marjanovic started pointing fingers towards them. Some words were exchanged, and it seemed like he would take matters into his own hands and was ready to cross the barricade to attack the supporters. For now, the reason for his outburst remains unknown. But Luka Doncic’s father was present on the scene and tried talking some sense to the 37-year-old. Ilirija club legend and current president Sasa Doncic had to step in, and he held both of Marjanovic’s hands against the barricades to avoid any dust-up.

The video states how Luka’s father was constantly saying something in Marjanovic’s ear to calm him down. The former NBA player finished the game with a double-double, recording 12 points and 15 rebounds, as his season came to an end. With his ejection, the task for the comeback was even more difficult as Ilirija lost Game 3 of the semifinals 97-74.

Luka Doncic was a bystander when Boban Marjanovic was ready to throw hands last time

In December 2025, when the 37-year-old signed with Ilirija, it was after a decade since he played in the ABA league. His previous instance was in 2015 with Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade. Then multiple stints with NBA teams, including being teammates with Luka Doncic for three years (2019-2022). The usual gentle giant got frustrated in the conference semifinals game against the top-rated Suns. It was an upset, and in Game 7, right at the end, Bobi lost his cool.

Western Conference Semifinals were about to be over with a scoreline of 123-87 in favor of the Mavericks. But then Aaron Holiday stole the ball and converted a three-pointer, which is against the unspoken rules. Naturally, Boban Marjanovic was irate and charged towards Holiday. After a little pushing and shoving, the assistant coaches took him back. Luka Doncic was on the bench and was quick to stop the Suns player from escalating it further.

It was Luka then, and now his father, Sasa Doncic, who also has developed a close friendship with Marjanovic. It was reported to be one of the reasons why Ilirija actually recruited the former NBA star in the first place.