Article by David Marinescu – published on Sunday, August 24, 2025, 14:12 / Updated Sunday, August 24, 2025 14:12
Slovenia's national basketball team recently played a friendly match in Belgrade, where he suffered a categorical defeat in front of Serbia, score 106-72, in the last test before Eurobasket. Along with Nikola Jokic, the star of the evening was Luka Doncic, who had not played in Serbia for 7 years.
Although he plays for Slovenia, his mother's country of origin, Luka also has Serbian origins from the father.
Luka Doncic, criticized in Slovenia for the gesture with Serbs
Doncic has never been close to dressing Serbia's shirt, but nevertheless he likes to emphasize that he has roots there.
He was a guest in the Stark Arena after 7 years, drew the public's attention and spoke with Serbian basketball players.
However, things were not always pink, and a few years ago, Doncic was attacked by fans on social networks after the Slovenian star sang “Vidovdan”, raising three fingers.
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The expression “three fingers of Vidovdan” refers to the Serbian greeting with three fingers, a gesture of national faith and identity, not to a specific event by Vidovdan. The three fingers symbolize the Holy Trinity in Orthodox Christianity and are often used in religious contexts.
Due to the attacks, the Slovenian journalist Andrej Miljkovic from the publication “Ekipa” was forced to defend Luka, justifying his gesture with Serbian basketball players in the Manila World Cup.
I cannot understand, and even less to accept, the madness that has been in the last 24 hours, from Triglav to Vardar, because of a video with Luka Doncic in the lead role. Let me ask: What's the problem? The big problem is to everyone who saw a problem in it. What's wrong with you, good people? He sang a Serbian national song and raised three fingers, just as he throws three -point basket, which we all love. Yes, and what's with that?
– Andrej Miljkovic
The Slovenian journalist reiterated his position later: “But those who see something more in this gesture, as well as those who criticize it, are of a pathetic ridicule. I will not even mention that it has Serbian origins and that this gesture is equivalent to singing about Slovenia.
Luka has to prove anything to anyone anymore! He showed how much belonging to the homeland feels more than any of us. Give everything for the country, and the rest are nonsense! ” said Andrej Miljkovic.
