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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.
“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.
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.
