Luka Doncic Reveals How He Fell In Love With Basketball

In a surprise guest appearance on the 'Mind the Game' podcast, Lakers star Luka Doncic opened up on all kinds of topics, ranging from his personal life to his career in the NBA. In one segment, Doncic even tells the story of how he first developed a passion for the game, tracing the origins of his love back to his father, Sasa.

"For me, I wasn't good at any other sports," said Doncic. "I was playing a lot of sports, tennis, soccer, and basketball were the main ones. For me, it was fun just to do sports. And then I went outside, I love to go outside after school. I went outside every day, playing anything, but mostly basketball. I went to his games when I started being a ball boy… EuroLeague games. That’s how I used my time to get into basketball. They let us in before the game, halftime, I was just shooting.”

Doncic, 26, grew up in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as the son of a professional athlete. Doncic's dad, Sasa, played one season of Euroleague basketball, averaging 2.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game on 40.6% shooting. He also played in the Slovenian Premier League, where he won two championships and three Slovenian Cups.

After Sasa's playing career ended in 2010, he took on a coaching role for various clubs until 2022, when he presumably retired. At 50 years old, Sasa's career is already said and done, but the same cannot be said for his son, Luka, who is currently taking the league by storm.

After growing up in the game and developing a love for the sport at an early age, Doncic was able to get a head start on his development, and it could be why he's so effective on the court today. After years of learning and growing with professionals, Luka learned all the tricks of the trade, and it's translated well into his career.

Starting at 13, Doncic's basketball journey is nothing short of impressive. Just a few years after joining Real Madrid's youth academy, he became the youngest player ever (at just 16 years old) to play for a senior team in the Spanish ACB League.

It didn't take long after that for Doncic to emerge as a true basketball superstar. He won his first Euroleague MVP in 2018, led them to a championship, and then cemented his future by going third overall to the Mavericks in 2018.

Ultimately, it didn't work out in Dallas, but Luka's status as an elite point guard remains intact. At just 26 years old, Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA, and he's the face of the Lakers after they gave up Anthony Davis to trade for him. In 50 games during the 2024-25 campaign, he averaged 28.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game on 43.8% shooting.

As a 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, and former Rookie of the Year, Luka's talents are undeniable, and his potential may be the highest for anyone in the league at his age. Going into a critical offseason, Doncic must stay in shape and develop chemistry with teammates so that he can help lead the Lakers to better results in 2026.