Where is Luka Doncic from? Taking a closer look at Mavericks star's background

At 24, Luka Doncic is one of the best basketball players in the world and a franchise player for the Dallas Mavericks. Post his basketball debut a decade ago, Doncic has everything to his name apart from an NBA championship and an MVP award.

Doncic has taken basketball by storm since his move to EuroLeague powerhouse Real Madrid at the age of 13. But what about his exact background? Doncic was born in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, in 1999. His father, Sasa Doncic, was a former player and coach at the time.

When Sasa joined Union Olimpija, Luka joined Olimpija's youth teams playing with kids his age and older. He was considered an exceptional talent.

Luka moved to Real on loan from Olimpija in 2012 and signed a multi-year deal with the "Whites" a year later. He became the captain of Real's under-18 team and soon made it to the main roster. At the age of 16 (April 30, 2015), he debuted in the Spanish League, called ACB or Liga Endesa, and made his EuroLeague debut a few months later as well.

In the 2016-17 season, the then Real Madrid coach Pablo Laso gave Doncic more playing time and made him an active player in the rotation. The Slovenian superstar constantly improved his game while being named the 2017 EuroLeague Rising Star and ACB Best Young Player.

In his final season in Europe (2017-2018), Doncic dominated his opponents. He took over Real Madrid, as star guard Sergio Llull missed the entire season with a knee injury, and led the "Whites" to the 2018 EuroLeague title.

He was named Final Four MVP, season MVP (the youngest one in EuroLeague history), and Rising Star for a second straight year. He also helped Real claim the ACB title and won the Finals MVP. After earning all titles in Europe, he left the club and moved to the NBA.

Luka Doncic's journey to the NBA

Doncic was the Dallas Mavericks' third pick of the 2018 NBA Draft via a trade from the Atlanta Hawks for fellow star guard Trae Young. The Mavs quickly made him their franchise player, and the Slovenian superstar didn't disappoint.

Doncic won the 2019 Rookie of the Year award and continued to elevate his game. He led Dallas to the playoffs in 2020 and made his postseason debut. He also debuted in an All-Star Game and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the first time.

"Doncic is incredible with the ball for a big guy. He's unbelievable in pick and roll play. His court vision is already unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I saw from a 19/20-year-old. He's a good shooter when he has time and I think he's going to be great for Dallas for a long, long time... I could shoot a little bit but I never had the court vision... the savviness that he brings to the game... He's going to pick defenses apart and it's going to be fun to watch," Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki said about Doncic heading into his rookie season (2018-19), via Wikipedia.

In 2021, he kept playing at an All-Star level and guided Dallas to a Division title and another playoff appearance. Meanwhile, Doncic became a member of the All-NBA First Team for a second year in a row and was a starter in the All-Star Game.

A year later, Doncic helped Dallas return to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years but lost to eventual champions Golden State Warriors. Doncic made it to the All-NBA First Team again.

The year 2023 wasn't promising for Luka Doncic. Even though he was part of the All-NBA First Team for a fourth consecutive season, he couldn't prevent the Mavs from collapsing in the final part of the season and missing the postseason. Doncic had also shared his frustration amid injuries and personal issues.

Aside from his records and achievements (e.g. franchise leader in triple-doubles), Luka Doncic set his sights on winning his first-ever NBA championship. Coming off a disappointing campaign with fellow superstar Kyrie Irving in his first full season with Dallas, Doncic aims at the title this year.