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Luka Doncic, Ex-Mavericks GM reunite with Slovenian National Team
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- Luka Doncic, Ex-Mavericks GM reunite with Slovenian National Team
The post Luka Doncic, Ex-Mavericks GM reunite with Slovenian National Team appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Luka Doncic is set to reunite with former Dallas Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson. Nelson, who played a major role in selecting Doncic at the 2018 NBA Draft, has been named a special adviser to the Slovenian national team and will play a role at the upcoming 2025 EuroBasket tournament.
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"Former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson has been named as a special adviser to Slovenia's national team … reuniting him with Luka Dončić," wrote Marc Stein on X, formerly Twitter.
Nelson served as the Mavericks GM from 2005-21 after previously being an assistant coach. He played a huge role assembling the 2011 title-winning team and also has a strong resume in international basketball.
Donnie Nelson has worked for multiple national teams including Lithuania, China, and Team USA. He joins Slovenia as a special advisor at a time when the team is looking to build on their bronze-medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics. Nelson's first assignment comes in the form of EuroBasket 2025, where Slovenia has been placed in Group D alongside the likes of Poland, France, Belgium, Iceland and Israel.
"Becoming a part of Slovenian basketball is a great honor for me. I look forward to working with Matej Erjavec, Sasa Doncic and everyone at the Basketball Federation of Slovenia," Nelson said about the move.
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The reunion has special significance as Nelson had previously called the Mavericks' decision to trade Doncic a 'tremendous mistake.' He attended Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals wearing Luka Doncic's signature Jordan shoes as a form of 'protest,' terming the former Mavericks man a 'generational player' who should never have been traded.
Nelson's international career began with Lithuania back in 1990. He helped the team win three Olympic bronze medals alongside a EuroBasket gold back in 2003. Further, he also helped the China national team to their best-ever Olympics finish at Athens 2004, where they finished 8th, along with guiding them to gold at the 2005 Asian Championships.
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