Goran Dragic: 'Luka from 2017 and Luka now are like day and night' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Two of the very best European teams will clash in a friendly match on Wednesday. With NBA superstars Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic headlining the Slovenian and Serbian teams, all basketball fans' eyes will be pointed to the game.

A day before the match, the captain of the Slovenian national team, Goran Dragic, gave a quick interview to SportKlub Slovenija where he talked about the upcoming match and the changes between the championship-winning 2017 roster and now.

"Luka in 2017 and today... Like day and night. At that time, he was just starting his career at the highest level. Today, we all know what his name means in the basketball world," Dragic said. "He was in the national team for the first time five years ago. We introduced it to him. Now he is the leader. I will follow him."

"We expect a lot from him," the Chicago Bulls guard told. "He will certainly be one of the best players at the European Championship. I hope he is healthy. He will be able to show some good games."

The head coach of the team is different now. Igor Kokoskov was the leading man behind the squad five years ago. This time, it's Aleksander Sekulic, a specialist who has already proven his worth during the past two years.

"The difference may be less than it seems at first glance," Dragic explained. "Why? Sasho learned a lot from Igor. He added something of his own. He's a top coach."

"The biggest difference is the language. Igor communicated in Serbian, which we had no problems with. Of course, Sasho addresses us in Slovenian. He is the home coach. I am happy to work with him," the NBA guard said.

The capital city of Ljubljana and its Stozice Arena will welcome Denver Nuggets superstar and two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic tomorrow.

"Serbs probably have a bit of a bitter aftertaste when they think of us. We beat them in the final," Dragic remembered EuroBasket 2017. "Matches against them are always a spectacle. They are among the best in the world."

Like what we are doing? You can express your gratitude here.