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“Nicolas Batum told me he hates playing against me”: Luka Doncic calls the France star a ‘class act’ following Slovenia defeat at Tokyo 2020

Samir Mehdi
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Luka Doncic shows his admiration for Nicolas Batum after France defeats Slovenia to advance to face off against USA and calls Batum a ‘class act’. 

Luka Doncic and his perfect streak of being undefeated in international play has officially ended after Slovenia fell to France, 90-89. France will now advance to face off against Team USA in a bout that will decide who wins Gold at Tokyo 2020 while Slovenia will square off against Patty Mills and the Boomers in a game that will settle who wins Bronze. 

The entirety of the Slovenia-France game saw Luka Doncic dominate in an extremely Luka-eque way. Though he merely shot 5-18 from the field, the shots he made were reminiscent of the ones he drains while on the Mavericks: step-back, high arcing shots from beyond the arc. However, the story of the night for Doncic was his playmaking.

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Luka dropped a whopping 18 assists and also notched the 3rd triple double in Olympic basketball history. LeBron James was the only other one to do so in the past 45 years. Unfortunately, his efforts were futile all thanks to a Giannis-esque block from Nicolas Batum. 

Luka Doncic shows love to Nicolas Batum following France’s victory over Slovenia. 

It’s quite bewildering to think about the fact that Nicolas Batum was thought of as dead weight when with the Charlotte Hornets merely a couple years ago. Now, following an incredible season with the Los Angeles Clippers and a run on Team France, his stock has definitely risen. 

The biggest play of the night in the Slovenia-France semis was undoubtedly Batum’s block that pinned a potential game-winning layup to the board, resulting in a one point victory. Following the game, Batum was seen consoling Luka Doncic as the latter sat on the Slovenia bench. 

In his media availability, Luka Doncic claimed that not only was Nicolas Batum a class act but that Batum admitted he hated playing against Luka, but in a good way.

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The two have actually faced off against one another quite a lot this past year, most prominently in a grueling 7-game first round series that saw the Clippers best the Mavericks. It’s safe to say that Doncic cleared up any rumors of ‘bad blood’ between him and the French-man. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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