Luka Doncic cites first NFL experience with $13B team as his biggest cultural shock

Luka Doncic spoke about his biggest cultural shock, citing his first NFL experience with the Dallas Cowboys, valued at $13 billion. Doncic came straight from Slovenia to Texas after being acquired by the Dallas Mavericks.

While many things about the U.S. could shock a European, for an athlete like Doncic, it was the massive number of fans that showed up to watch the Dallas Cowboys.

Doncic mentioned the same when asked about his biggest cultural shock during a conversation with the Wall Street Journal.

“Honestly didn’t know what to expect from Texas, but I fell in love right away. The biggest shock was the NFL games, going to the Cowboys’ games for the first time,” Doncic said on Monday. “There were so many people, it was amazing to see.”

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From cultural shocks to actual ground-shaking surprises like his trade to the Lakers last season, Doncic has had his share of shocks in the city of Dallas. The Lakers superstar made 50 appearances for LA and the Mavericks last season, averaging 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, shooting 45%.

Luka Doncic named to EuroBasket All-Star five alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo

Luka Doncic was among the best players at the EuroBasket tournament, leading his country, Slovenia, to the quarterfinal stage of the tournament. Doncic averaged 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists in seven games.

His stellar play saw him being named to EuroBasket 2025's All-Star five, which also included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alperen Sengun, Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner. Outside of the other four players, Doncic was the only one to earn a spot on the list despite being eliminated before reaching the final four.

In fact, all of the other players on the list grabbed a finish on the podium with Greece finishing third, Turkey second and Germany first. This alone puts into contrast just how colossal Doncic was in bringing Slovenia to the quarterfinals.

If his performance at EuroBasket 2025 is any indication, Luka Doncic could be in for a solid campaign with the LA Lakers. The team will return to the court on October 6 to face the Golden State Warriors in its first preseason fixture.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan