– I didn’t want to waste this opportunity – says A.J. Slaughter about the photo in which he poses with two NBA stars. Next to the Polish representative are Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić, who is holding Slaughter’s son. Both have already been eliminated from the European Championship, and Poland is still in the game.

A.J. Slaughter, Nikola Jokić, Luka DončićA.J. Slaughter, Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić (Photo: A.J. Slaughter / Press materials)Correspondence from Berlin

Dončić and Jokić were selected to the NBA’s best five last season. Before EuroBasket, their teams Slovenia and Serbia were considered serious candidates for medals. Serbia sensationally lost in the 1/8 finals to Italy, and Slovenia lost in the quarterfinals to Poland.

The French coach pointed out the Poles’ greatest asset. Names were mentioned, but…All the teams are staying in one hotel in Berlin during the knockout phase of the European Championships, where there are often chance meetings of excellent basketball players. On Sunday afternoon, Poland won against Ukraine in the 1/8 finals, and the team went to the hotel by coach. There, Slaughter was already awaited by his family, who had flown to the German capital earlier.

And that’s when the photo of Slaughter with Jokić and Dončić, who were still participants in the tournament at the time, was taken. “We went back to the hotel and I saw them sitting together. I didn’t want to waste this opportunity because I really appreciate their game. They are among the best players in the world. This is a great opportunity for my son and a memory he will have when he is older,” says the Polish national team player.

Life added a punch line to the photo. Of the three basketball players, only Slaughter is still taking part in EuroBasket. “It’s crazy that I’m the only one left in the tournament. Who would have thought? It’s incredible,” Slaughter smiles, as if he still couldn’t believe that it had happened. The photo became the basis for many memes with captions like “sit here with your uncles, dad is going to play the semifinals.”

And in this semifinal, Poland will face France on Friday, September 16. For Slaughter, it’s an opportunity to compete with three people he met earlier in his career. Current NBA center Rudy Gobert was his teammate 10 years ago at Cholet. Coach Vincent Collet coached him five years ago at Strasbourg. And Andrew Albicy plays with him on a daily basis at CB Gran Canaria.