Defending champion Slovenia started the European Basketball Championship with a tough victory over Lithuania. The result of 92:85 could also be due to complications with transportation, because after a futile wait for the bus, Luka Dončič et al. Take taxis from the hotel to the hall in Cologne.
Another NBA star, Goran Dragic, wrote on Twitter: “Good job at EuroBasket. No bus for European champions to the game. It must be a joke.”
“At least we got in a taxi after twenty minutes,” the Chicago Bulls basketball player added.
American-born Mike Tobe led the Slovenian national team with 24 points. Dragič collected 19 of them, and Dallas star Dončič supplied his teammates with passes and added ten assists to 14 points.
14,500 fans watched the opening duel.
In the same group, Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Hungary 95:85.
The Spaniards defended the bronze medals and beat Bulgaria 114: 87 in Tbilisi.
The Czech team will start the tournament on Friday in Prague against the Poles.
