If there’s anyone who could speak about the NBA in comparison to European basketball, it’s Luka Doncic. Not only did the Los Angeles Lakers superstar play in the EuroLeague, he dominated the competition. Ever since entering the NBA in 2018, Doncic has transferred that level of success in North America. Throughout the years, the Slovenian star has grown comfortable with the NBA game. Now, he can make a big distinction between the two styles of play.
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Luka Doncic hasn’t been shy to speak about the NBA’s style of basketball in comparison to Europe. In 2020, Doncic went viral for stating that it is easier to score in the NBA than overseas. His words ruffled some feathers of NBA fans, but he didn’t have any ill will. He was highlighting the differences in the overall way the game is.
In Europe, teams don’t follow the same rules as the NBA. Instead, they adopt FIBA rules, which stand for all international competitions such as the EuroBasket, FIBA World Cup, and the Olympics. Some of these rule changes include the no-defensive three-second rule and enabling offensive interference.
Although these are examples of clear rule changes, there’s also a difference in etiquette between players on the court. The most glaring comes in the form of trash talk.
“I think in the NBA there is way more [trash talk],” Doncic said in an appearance on Hot Ones. “Anybody talks.”
Every NBA fan knows that Doncic is one of the premier trash-talkers in the league. It’s hard to imagine the five-time All-NBA First Team member quiet on the court, but that’s how he was in Europe. According to the Los Angeles Lakers star, the majority of players maintained their composure. “You know, when I was a kid, I didn’t trash-talk in Europe. I was a little kid. I didn’t.”
However, Doncic reveals that anybody talks in the NBA, which includes players who maybe shouldn’t. If that wasn’t already a spicy answer, Doncic’s response to the next question certainly would be. In typical Hot Ones fashion, Doncic and host Sean Evans increased the level of heat of their hot sauce.
Evans proceeded to probe Doncic to compare the atmosphere between Europe and the NBA. Many players would provide a politically correct answer, not Doncic.
“In Europe, you don’t really hear the people talking because it’s so loud,” Doncic confessed. “Especially Serbia, Greece, and Turkey. I think those countries have the best atmosphere.”
Doncic’s answer might not please the ears of Lakers fans, but he certainly has a point. The fan bases of teams in these nations won’t even sit during the game. Countless videos on the internet would support Doncic’s claim. However, in an effort to justify himself, he shared an encounter he had in the 2018 EuroLeague Quarter-Finals against Panathinaikos.
“I basically couldn’t hear my teammate next to me. It was insane. And we started losing the game 20-0, and it got louder,” Doncic revealed.
That’s incredibly high praise for European basketball, considering Doncic has graced an NBA Finals court. Although the NBA is the biggest basketball league in the world, perhaps there’s still room to grow. Taking a page out of the EuroLeague to cultivate the same fan atmosphere could send the NBA to another level.
Victor Wembanyama has tried to start the same with his ‘jackals‘ at the Spurs games. They’re a small selection of fans who will try and replicate the kind of energy European fans bring. If Wemby’s experiement works out well, we might see other European stars try the same with their teams as well.
