Luka Doncic and Donnie Nelson International Reunion Announced
The Dallas Mavericks altered the course of their franchise by inexplicably trading 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
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General manager Nico Harrison made the move less than a year after Doncic led the Mavs to their third NBA Finals ever. The Slovenian star, who battled through injury throughout the postseason run, also took part in a Paris Olympics qualifying tournament for his home country Slovenia shortly after the Finals in 2024.
Doncic has always taken pride in representing his country on the global stage, having played in European leagues and for his national team for years before making it to the NBA in 2018.
Now he has a former Mavericks staffer joining him in those international endeavors.
Former Mavericks general manager and director of basketball operations Donnie Nelson has accepted a special advisor role with the Slovenian national team, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein.
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Nelson was an instrumental figure in bringing international stars Dirk Nowitzki and Doncic to Dallas when they were drafted.
Stein noted that Nelson also has experience with Lithuania's national team in an assistant coach capacity. The Slovenian federation announced that Nelson will "advise the federation's leadership and the national team staff."
The move reunites Nelson with Doncic for the first time since Luka's shocking dismissal from Dallas. The former remains impressed by Luka's ability to lead the Slovenian team, as they have big goals for the upcoming Olympics.
'Becoming a part of Slovenian basketball is a great honor for me," Nelson said. "I look forward to working with Matej Erjavec, Sasa Doncic and everyone at the Basketball Federation of Slovenia."
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'Watching Luka lead the team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, I became excited about the potential,' he added. 'I can't wait to see what the Slovenian national team can achieve in the future. I sincerely hope to be in Los Angeles in 2028. I look forward to being a part of its journey.'
The executive responsible for building the Mavericks' 2011 championship roster "mutually agreed to part ways" with the organization in 2021, ending Nelson's 24-year tenure in Dallas.
That marked the official end of an era, as Nelson was a second-generation Mavericks icon. His father Don was the team's head coach from 1997-2005.
Related: Mavericks Nearing Jason Kidd Decision Amid NBA Coaching Shuffle
Related: Lakers Championship Coach Hired By Dallas Mavericks Amid Major Changes
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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