In a new interview, Luka Dončić gets honest about the dark side of fame

Luka Dončić gets approached by hundreds of fans no matter where he goes. But there’s one line he won’t allow them to cross. 

Translation courtesy of professional Slovenian translator, Alja Sotlar.

In an interview by the news program 24 ur, by the Slovenian TV network Pop TV, Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić opened up about the hard parts of fame and the line he won’t allow fans to cross, among other things. According to fellow Slovenians, his physical trainer Anže Maček and Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Marko Milić, the amount of attention Luka Dončić receives on a daily basis can be overwhelming.

Seated in his own house in Dallas, the Slovenian superstar also talked about his daughter, the trick shots he’s famous for, his issues with officiating and last year’s MVP snub.

Interviewer: “Luka, what is the best part of your fame?”

Luka Dončić: “The best part of my fame… that I can do what I always wanted to do as a kid. Play basketball.”

Interviewer: “And the worst?”

That a lot of people know me.”

Interviewer: “Can you even go alone on foot anywhere in Dallas?”

Luka Dončić: “Rather no, than yes. I also rarely go. I’m more – practice, home, game, home, so there’s no extra.”

Despite always being forthcoming and taking his time to meet fans and sign autographs, Luka Dončić doesn’t hesitate when he is asked whether there’s a line he won’t allow fans to cross:

“Particularly now that I have a daughter, if I’m with my daughter, I usually say I can’t now because I ‘m with my daughter, I don’t get a lot of time with her, because I’m away a lot, especially during the summer. When I‘m with my daughter, my family, if they could just leave me be a little.”

The program includes clips of talks with both trainer Anže Maček and Marko Milić. And Milić, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach and former NBA player from Slovenia, describes just how much attention Luka Dončić gets on a daily basis:

“That’s hard to describe, perhaps we’ve lived something similar when we played in the Philippines, when before a game, 24 hours a day, let’s say 300, 400 people waited for him and saw him for the first time, but here it happens every single day,” he says in the interview.

During the World Cup in 2023, hosted by the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan, it became clear that Luka Dončić was a fan favorite in Asia, a huge NBA market. The amount of locals with Dončić jerseys, both Mavericks and Slovenia, as well as the cheers and reception he received everywhere he went, was staggering.

It’s great to see Luka Dončić fans everywhere, Anže Maček said in the interview, but there’s also a downside to it:

“It’s hard to imagine, everywhere, anywhere we go, a mass of people are waiting for him, in front of the hotel, the bus, after the game, at the hotel, everyone is wearing his jersey, whether we’re away or at home, which is very nice to see, but it’s also tiring.”

Because of all the attention Luka Dončić gets, and the sheer amount of people around at all times, the Mavericks hired bodyguards to follow him everywhere, according to Marko Milić.

“He’s walking around with his bodyguards, that he didn’t pick, the club simply got them for him, they protect him, as if we had here a fecking white or golden tiger. (…) He brings in so much, also to the city and to everything so his share is earned.”

But despite the attention sometimes getting tiring, Luka Dončić seems to have learned how to put things in perspective. Especially after having his daughter, Gabriela, he started seeing the world and even basketball differently:

“I would do anything for my daughter. It’s basically the most beautiful thing in the world that happened to me in life and that will always be there.”

“When you come home after a bad game and you see your daughter’s smile, something priceless, this has lasted a year now. The birth of my daughter has really changed my life for the better, so you know when you come home, even if you’ve had a bad day, your day instantly becomes brighter,” Luka Dončić said.

And when he’s asked what he wishes for himself in 2025, Luka Dončić doesn’t waiver:

“The ring, the ring,” he said.

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