Luka Doncic had returned to Slovenia for EuroBasket 2025 with a trimmed physique, laser focus, and sky-high expectations. With fans flooding the Stozice Arena, waving flags and donning “Luka 2.0” signs, hoping for a revival of 2017 magic. But two key names were missing from Slovenia’s frontcourt, and Doncic noticed.

Vlatko Čančar and Josh Nebo are both missing from the roster. Olimpia Milan has decided to block the Slovenian players from joining their teammates on the court. And Doncic has been quite vocal about his displeasure. Though he stopped blaming the players, his words carried clear frustration with the club’s stance.

“I didn’t resent anything. As far as I understand, the club didn’t allow them to come. In the end, the Lakers allowed it; Milan didn’t. I’d rather not get involved in it, but that should be the player’s decision. In my opinion. Those two are not at fault,” Luka said, via Ekipa24. Milan’s front office responded quickly. “Doncic seems to have forgotten one very simple fact: both Cancar and Nebo are recovering from serious injuries that kept them off the court for a long time,” head coach Ettore Messina told Sky Sport.

GM Christos Stavropoulos also released an official statement: “Regarding some recent media reports, I would like to clarify on behalf of the club that the health of our players has always been and always will be our priority. In the specific cases of Vlatko Cancar and Josh Nebo, I need to point out that both players are recovering from very serious injuries that severely limited their availability during the last season. In agreement with them, a procedure for their gradual return to action will be implemented to safeguard principally their health and long-term competitiveness.”

Still, the situation left Slovenia scrambling to fill their frontcourt, replacing Nebo with veteran Alen Omic and leaving Cancar off the final roster entirely.

Both players entered the summer with injury histories. Cancar returned from an ACL tear last year but struggled in the Olympic qualifiers, shooting just 16% from the field. While Nebo missed most of his first season with Milan due to groin, hand, and adductor injuries, playing only four EuroLeague games. Slovenia’s coaching staff wasn’t thrilled, either. “He [Cancar] was in great shape, but his club said he failed a medical test,” coach Aleksander Sekulic told Meridian Sport. He confirmed that Nebo was healthy enough to join but was held back by the club.

Slovenia had to adapt. Luka spoke positively about Omic stepping into the role. “The atmosphere is great, Alen trains great, so I’m looking forward to playing with him… he’s a different center than I usually play with, so I’ll have to adjust my game a little bit.” Omic brings experience from top European clubs and national team campaigns.

Luka Doncic looks ahead to the Serbia showdown

Despite Slovenia dropping all four of their warm-up games, Doncic has looked sharp. He scored 26 points in the first half against Latvia before leaving the game with a right knee contusion. The Slovenian Basketball Federation confirmed the injury wasn’t serious, and the Lakers star is expected to return in time for Slovenia’s high-stakes clash against Serbia.

Coach Sekulic has praised Luka’s offseason transformation. “Luka has changed his approach,” he said. “He’s not the real Dončić yet, but he’s here to do something great.” Doncic has dropped 31 pounds, sharpened his agility, and is reportedly in the best shape of his career. His teammates have noticed. “Yeah, he’s faster and jumps more. And this year, I expect him to be the best version of himself,” said veteran Edo Muric.

With Goran Dragic no longer in the fold and younger players stepping up, Luka’s leadership is front and center. “I am not the only leader. You have to have several leaders,” he said, reinforcing Slovenia’s collective goal to win another medal. Meanwhile, after nearly escaping a critical injury, Doncic is expected to be ready for Slovenia’s matchup in the exhibition against Nikola Jokic and Serbia on August 21.

With tickets almost selling out of the 18,000-seat Belgrade Arena, which will host the showdown. It’s a rematch of the iconic 2022 exhibition where Doncic dropped 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in a win over Jokic.