By Nikola Miloradovic / info@eurohoops.net
Before becoming an NBA superstar, Luka Doncic spent three full seasons experiencing the intensity of EuroLeague basketball with Real Madrid. Trips to Belgrade, Athens and Barcelona provided some of the loudest and most hostile environments of his career in Europe.
Crvena Zvezda immediately came to mind when he was asked by SLAM to identify the most intimidating crowd he had faced, although his lifelong affection for the Serbian club made his visits there feel different.
“I would probably say Red Star, but not for me. They liked me there, so not for me,” Doncic said.
That bond was tested in March 2018, when the then-Real Madrid guard silenced Aleksandar Nikolic Hall with a deep step-back three sealing an 82-79 victory with 0.9 seconds remaining.
“That was before the Final Four, so it was a nice move. It’s very hard to play in that gym.”
As a Red Star supporter, Doncic admitted that the decisive shot left him with mixed emotions.
“I’m also a fan of that team, so I was kind of wondering whether I should celebrate or not. I didn’t really celebrate, but it was a nice moment.”
Athens provided another lasting memory. In Game 1 of the 2018 EuroLeague playoffs, Panathinaikos defeated Madrid with a big margin at a packed OAKA.
“I also played at Panathinaikos. We played in the quarterfinals and started the game down 0-20, so it was really loud out there.”
When asked where supporters disliked him most, Doncic first laughed, “Probably a lot of them,” before naming the most obvious destination for a Real Madrid player: “Barcelona. Rivals.”
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