The City
The city, if not for a delayed flight, would have been the first stop on my tour. However, it had to settle for second after Frankfurt. For a country with only a population of just over two million people, Slovenia punches well above its weight on the basketball court. While many Slovenians have made it to the, none has been as good as Luka Dončić, so it made sense for me to arrange my pickup run at the courts he recently refurbished.
The Run
Originally scheduled for a Friday, I had arrived late on a Wednesday night and with a 100-percent chance of rain forecast for Friday, I hastily arranged to move the game forward by one day. My contact, also named Luka, did an incredible job getting the message out and an excellent number turned out, including Philip who traveled all the way from Vienna in Austria to be there.
The Star
I got an immediate insight into Balkan basketball. With around 15 guys in attendance, I naturally assumed we would play 5-on-5 full court, but that idea was met with a look of surprise and even disdain as the locals informed me that nobody plays 5-on-5 in Slovenia, even when you have the numbers. They usually just play 3-on-3. I was more than willing to adapt to the local style, but in fact, they decided to play the way I suggested. While there wasn’t a standout, the level of play was incredibly high. Unfortunately, the rain, which wasn’t supposed to arrive yet, came early and ended our run after around 45 minutes. Luckily there was a bar nearby, and we spent the next several hours socializing there. Despite a few obstacles, the tour was now officially underway.
