[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] "He is colder than a large glass filled with kombucha (a fermented drink made by adding beneficial bacteria to green or black tea with sugar). Whether at his debut or when injured, we shout. Halleluja!"
Home fans of the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA sing this cheer when Luka Don?i? (22) heats up the court. It praises his cold-blooded competitive spirit that emerges at critical moments. Halleluja is a slogan created by fans combining "Hallelujah," used by Christian believers to praise God, and Don?i?'s name. This shows that Don?i? is already a divine figure among fans.
The voices chanting his name are likely to grow louder in Tokyo, Japan. Don?i? is leading his homeland Slovenia to make history. The country's first Olympic medal is now within reach.
Slovenia, led by Don?i?, will secure at least a silver medal by winning the semifinal match against France today, the 5th, at 8 p.m. at Saitama Super Arena. With a population of 2.08 million, smaller than Chungcheongnam-do in South Korea (2.12 million), an Olympic medal is a tremendous achievement for Slovenia. It is a miraculous drama created by Don?i?. In this Olympics, he has played in four games, averaging 26.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists, performing at a triple-double level. In the group stage match against Argentina, he exploded with 48 points.
Don?i? plays both guard and forward positions, boasting wide vision, experienced game management, and explosive scoring ability. His height of 2.1 meters is also a weapon. All of this was influenced by his father, Sa?a Don?i?, who was a basketball player and coach during his childhood. Don?i? originally intended to play other sports as a child, but started basketball because he was too tall. Then he followed his father and learned basketball thoroughly. At 13, he joined the Spanish professional basketball team Real Madrid and debuted in the first division at 15. He led his team to victory in the 2017-2018 season and was named MVP. In September 2017, at EuroBasket held in Turkey, he brought Slovenia its first championship and then entered the NBA. In his debut 2018-2019 season with Dallas, he averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6 assists, winning Rookie of the Year.
Basketball fans are keenly interested in whether Don?i? will reach the final and face the NBA team USA. To do so, they must first defeat France. France also has strong players active in the NBA, such as Evan Fournier (New York Knicks) and Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz), making it a tough challenge.
Don?i? emphasized, "We have already made new history by participating in the Olympics for the first time. We can rise even higher than now."
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