Yardbarker
x

Much was made about the remark that Luka Doncic recently made when discussing whether an NBA championship or Olympic gold medal would mean more to him.

For reference, Doncic expressed how he'd prefer to win a gold medal for Slovenia, if he had to pick just one. However, he also noted that he 'wouldn't mind both.' 

In part of an interview with CBS Sports, Bradley Beal was asked about the recent comment that Luka Doncic made about how winning a gold medal for Slovenia would mean more to him than an NBA championship. 

Beal was in '100 percent' agreement with the remark that Doncic made -- expressing how Slovenia earning an Olympic nod for the first time is 'huge.' 

In his shoes, 100 percent. This is Slovenia's first time in the Olympics, right? So, that's huge. He's representing his whole country. Dallas is a city. People are fans of the city, but he's repping his whole country. He's putting them on his back. At the same time, hell, I'm gonna feel the same way because I haven't won anything. So for me, this is big ... This is the big boys. This is the big brother. So I embrace this stage and our goal is to win a gold medal. So, I want to have some hardware to say I'm proud of, too. 

After defeating Lithuania in the qualifying tournament, Slovenia found themselves placed in Group C for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. This group also consists of Japan, Spain, and Argentina.

Doncic averaged 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 11.3 assists during the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Among his top performances was a triple-double with an excess of 30-points in Slovenia's win over Lithuania. 

The first game Slovenia plays is on Monday, July 26, when taking on Argentina. Luka will continue his pursuit of gold ... and later, back with the Mavs, his pursuit of the second part of "both.'' 

This article first appeared on FanNation Dallas Basketball and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.