Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has named Crvena Zvezda and Panathinaikos Athens among the toughest atmospheres he experienced during his EuroLeague career with Real Madrid.
"I would probably say Red Star, but not for me," Doncic, a longtime Crvena Zvezda fan, told SLAM when asked about the scariest and most imposing atmosphere he played in. "They liked me there, so not for me."
He also pointed to Panathinaikos and a memorable 2018 EuroLeague playoff game in Athens.
"I also played at Panathinaikos. We played in the quarterfinals and started the game down 0-20, so it was really loud out there."
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Doncic was referring to Game 1 of the 2018 playoffs, when Panathinaikos opened with 20 unanswered points and beat Real Madrid 95-67 in front of more than 18,000 fans.
Luka finished with 10 points, but Madrid responded by winning the next three games to take the series 3-1 and eventually claim the EuroLeague title that season.
When asked which EuroLeague arena disliked him the most, Doncic initially joked, "Probably a lot of them."
After a pause, he picked one in particular: "Barcelona. Rivals."
Doncic remembers famous game-winner in Belgrade
One of Doncic's most memorable EuroLeague moments also came against Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade.
On March 30, 2018, Real Madrid visited Zvezda at Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Round 29.
With the score tied at 79-79, Doncic crossed over Ognjen Dobric, sent the defender to the floor, and hit a deep step-back three with 0.9 seconds remaining to give Madrid an 82-79 win.
"That was before the Final Four, so it was a nice move," Doncic recalled. "It's very hard to play in that gym."
Luka finished that night with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals for 35 PIR and earned EuroLeague MVP of the Round honors.
"I'm also a fan of that team, so I was kind of wondering whether I should celebrate or not," he said. "I didn't really celebrate, but it was a nice moment."
Less than two months later, Doncic returned to Belgrade for the EuroLeague Final Four, this time at Stark Arena, and led Real Madrid to the title.
At that time, the 19-year-old was named the 2017-18 EuroLeague MVP, Final Four MVP, and earned a place on the All-EuroLeague First Team as Madrid won its 10th European title.
Doncic averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists across the 2018 Final Four.
His rise in Europe led to comparisons with Serbian and European basketball legend Dejan Bodiroga while Luka was still a teenager.
"No, I think that whenever you're compared to great players, it's a privilege," Doncic said when asked whether those comparisons created pressure. "There's no pressure. You just play the sport you love, so there's no pressure."
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