BASKETBALL PLAYERS from Slovenia

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Slovene Basketball Players of all time. This list of famous Slovene Basketball Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Slovene Basketball Players.

1. Luka Dončić (b. 1999)

With an HPI of 63.29, Luka Dončić is the most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 51 different languages on wikipedia.

Luka Dončić ( LOO-kə DON-chitch; Slovene: [ˈlùːka ˈdòːntʃitʃ]; born February 28, 1999) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Since his rookie season, he has been selected to five NBA All-Star games and five All-NBA First Team selections. He also represents the Slovenian national team and is widely regarded as one of the greatest European players of all time, and is nicknamed Luka Magic. Dončić was a youth player for Union Olimpija before joining the youth academy of Real Madrid. In 2015, he made his debut for the academy's senior team at age 16, becoming the youngest in club history. He made his senior debut for Slovenia in 2016 at only 17 years of age. He later helped his country win its first EuroBasket title, in 2017, while also being named to the All-Tournament Team. Dončić led Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title, winning the EuroLeague MVP and the Final Four MVP. He was named the ACB Most Valuable Player and won back-to-back EuroLeague Rising Star and ACB Best Young Player awards. Dončić was also selected to the EuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team. In 2018, Dončić declared for the NBA draft, where he was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks and then traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Dončić was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and won Rookie of the Year for the 2018–19 season. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2023–24 season, becoming the first European to lead the NBA in scoring and second international player to achieve the feat. That season, he led the Mavericks to their third NBA Finals appearance. Dončić is also the Mavericks' franchise leader in career triple-doubles, and holds the record for most points in a Mavericks season. Dončić was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the middle of the 2024–25 season in a controversial blockbuster trade that is regarded as one of the most shocking and unexpected trades in American sports history.

2. Ivo Daneu (b. 1937)

With an HPI of 59.71, Ivo Daneu is the 2nd most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Ivo Daneu (born 6 October 1937) is a retired Slovenian professional basketball player and coach. During his playing career, at a height of 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) tall, he played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. He represented the Yugoslavia national basketball team internationally. He was voted the Best Sportsperson of the Year in Yugoslavia, in 1967, and the Slovenian Sportsperson of the Year, in 1969. He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. He was enshrined into the FIBA Hall of Fame, in 2007. He was inducted into the Slovenian Athletes Hall of Fame, in 2012.

3. Sasha Vujačić (b. 1984)

With an HPI of 55.53, Sasha Vujačić is the 3rd most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Aleksander "Sasha" Vujačić (Serbian Cyrillic: Александар Саша Вујачић; Slovene: Aleksander Saša Vujačič; often rendered in English as without diacritics; born March 8, 1984) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2004 NBA draft with the 27th overall pick. In the 2007–08 season, Vujacic set the Lakers record for the best three-point field goal percentage (.437) in a single season. In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, he won the NBA championship with the Lakers. Vujacic is also a two-time Turkish Basketball League All-Star and a Turkish Basketball League MVP.

4. Rasho Nesterović (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 53.81, Rasho Nesterović is the 4th most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Radoslav "Rasho" Nesterović (Serbian Cyrillic: Радослав "Рашо" Нестеровић, Greek: Ράσο Νεστέροβιτς, Slovene: Radoslav "Rašo" Nesterovič; born May 30, 1976) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. He holds citizenship in both Slovenia and Greece. During his career in the NBA, Nesterović played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and Toronto Raptors. He retired in 2011.

5. Jure Zdovc (b. 1966)

With an HPI of 53.14, Jure Zdovc is the 5th most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Jurij "Jure" Zdovc (born 13 December 1966) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player and coach. He is currently the head coach of PAOK of the Greek Basketball League (GBL). As a player, he was a 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) tall point guard, who began his professional playing career with the Yugoslav Second Division club Smelt Olimpija. During his playing career, he was a three-time member of the FIBA European Selection, in the years 1990 and 1991 (twice), and a FIBA EuroStar selection, in 1996. He also represented both the senior Yugoslav national team, and the senior Slovenian national team. He was inducted into the Slovenian Athletes Hall of Fame in 2015. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2020. As a basketball coach, Zdovc received the EuroCup Coach of the Year award in 2012, while he was the head coach of the Russian club Spartak Saint Petersburg.

6. Gregor Fučka (b. 1971)

With an HPI of 51.86, Gregor Fučka is the 6th most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Gregor Fučka (Slovene pronunciation: [ˈfutʃka]; born 7 August 1971) is a Slovenian-Italian former professional basketball player and coach. A 215 cm (7' 3⁄4") forward-center, he was a both a Mister Europa and Euroscar laureate in 2000.

7. Jaka Lakovič (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 51.10, Jaka Lakovič is the 7th most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.

Jaka Lakovič (born 9 July 1978) is a Slovenian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for Gran Canaria of the Liga ACB, as well as an assistant coach of the senior Slovenia national team. Standing at 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in), and weighing 95 kg (210 lbs.), he played at the point guard position. He was an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005, and he helped lead the senior Slovenia national team to the fourth place finish at 2009 EuroBasket.

8. Goran Dragić (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 47.27, Goran Dragić is the 8th most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Goran Dragić (born 6 May 1986) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Dragon", he played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering the NBA in 2008. Dragić also played for the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks. He was an All-NBA Third Team selection and the NBA Most Improved Player with the Suns in 2014. He was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2018 with Miami. He led the senior Slovenian national team to its first FIBA EuroBasket title in 2017, while being named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

9. Sani Bečirovič (b. 1981)

With an HPI of 46.23, Sani Bečirovič is the 9th most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Sani Bečirovič (born 19 May 1981) is a Slovenian professional basketball coach, executive and former player, who last served as the sporting director for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basketball League and the EuroLeague. As a player, he was selected in the second round (46th overall) of the 2003 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, but never played in the NBA. His father is Memi Bečirović, the former head coach of the senior men's Slovenia national team.

10. Matjaž Smodiš (b. 1979)

With an HPI of 45.35, Matjaž Smodiš is the 10th most famous Slovene Basketball Player.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Matjaž Smodiš (born 13 December 1979) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. Standing at a height of 2.05 m (6'8 3⁄4") tall, he played at the power forward and center positions. During his pro club playing career, he played in seven EuroLeague Finals (2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), and he was a three-time EuroLeague champion (2001, 2006, 2008). He was also an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2007. Smodiš was also the team captain of the senior Slovenian national team. He is currently a sporting director of KK Žoltasti Troti.