MIES (Switzerland) - The year 2025 just barely turned one month old and the basketball world was already shook when it was announced that Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic switched teams with USA superstar Anthony Davis.
Check out the FIBA profiles of the two key pieces involved in this blockbuster player movement below.
With Doncic joining the Los Angeles Lakers, all eyes will be on how he fits alongside LeBron James. Both players are national team icons, having recently represented their countries in 2024, and now have the opportunity to form a dream duo in the purple and gold.
Luka has been a key player for the Slovenia national team since 2017, averaging 23.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game across 41 FIBA appearances. Last year, he led Slovenia to the Final of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Greece, posting impressive averages of 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.
He won the EuroBasket title in 2017 at just 18 years old and was selected to the tournament’s All-Star Five. In 2020, he guided Slovenia to victory at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Lithuania, earning MVP honors and leading his team to the Semi-Final Round of the Tokyo Olympics, where he was named to the Olympic tournament’s All-Star Five.
Most recently, in 2023, Luka was once again recognized for his stellar performances, earning a spot on the All-Star Five at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
For the Dallas Mavericks, acquiring Anthony Davis means adding a legitimate star, especially on the defensive end. Mavs fans might find it easier to envision how their team will take shape, as Davis has already played alongside Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014, where they won the gold—USA’s last title in the competition. Could this reunion lead to similar success in Dallas?
AD first suited up for USA Basketball at the London 2012 Olympics, where he was the only college player on a team that went on to win the gold medal. After claiming the World Cup crown in 2014, he waited eight years before returning to the national team. He played a key role at the Paris Olympics last summer, averaging 8.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game to help Team USA secure another gold medal.
To sum up, Luka and AD are two very different players. However, in FIBA basketball, they have played in vastly different contexts and environments. AD has always played alongside star teammates, facing immense pressure to win it all for the world’s top basketball nation.
On the other hand, Luka has been the lone superstar, carrying a small European country on his shoulders in pursuit of international basketball glory.
Let us know in the comments: Would you make this trade in FIBA basketball?
FIBA