My Name Is Luka

Usually when browsing Twitter for basketball-related content it can be a smorgasbord of hot takes and unnecessary drama. However, something recently came across the feed while scrolling that was awe-inspiring. Without giving any more context, see for yourself:

My Name Is Luka by Klemen Slakonja belongs on loop in the Museum of Modern Art. It's a wondrous work honoring the Wonder Boy himself, Luka Dončić. Between riding a unicorn in the opening scene, rhyming words ending in "čić," and the NBA bobblehead superstars, this is a masterpiece.

Slakonja is an actor, tv host, singer, songwriter, impersonator, and comedian from Solvenia and I recently reached out to him to ask a few questions.

Luka isn't the first NBA player from Slovenia, but at 20 years old he is already becoming the face of the game, what is it like as a Slovenian to see the cultural impact he's had so far?

It’s simply amazing. I mean, there are people waking up in the middle of the night to watch him play, and I can’t help it either. I’ve been following him ever since I heard he signed a contract with Real Madrid at only 13. When I first saw him playing, I thought: ‘Wow, this boy will achieve great things!’ And I’m so happy for him!

This isn't the first video about a basketball player, the Goran Dragić video, "Dragon, Dragone," (which is also fantastic!) has reached almost 2 million views, and now your My Name Is Luka video has already hit over 110,000 views in just a few hours. So how do you come up with all of the ideas that go into the videos and how long does the creative process take? Both are really well done.

Well, Goran Dragić video was made for my TV show which I’ve hosted in 2014. It had to be done fast, because I had a new video coming out every week. I got the idea for making a Luka Dončić anthem this summer and I’ve been preparing it ever since. First I’ve started with music and lyrics. In a funny clip Luka was predicting his own future, saying he’d like to appear in a Drake song one day. So I wanted to make him his own Drake song. This is my forth comedy music video with Slovenian director Miha Knific, and we want every video to feel different. For this project, I’ve gathered a team of 50 professionals, including Dunking Devils, a world-famous acrobatic basketball team. I certainly can’t dunk like them, so in the video, they perform breathtaking acrobatic stunts dressed in Dončić’s jersey.

Have you met Luka Dončić in person? Or has he talked to you about your video yet? If so, what was that experience like? Surely by now Goran has seen his video.

Yes, Goran Dragić did see his video and this was his reaction:

I even performed the song at his wedding. I would love to see Luka’s reaction too. But haven’t met him and he didn’t say a word about the video just yet. I certainly hope he likes it and that he feels all the positive energy that was put into it by the entire team. We are very proud of him, and to pay him a tribute like that is the least what we can do.

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Slakonja has amassed over 70 millions views online and it's clear he is a master at his craft. I highly encourage you to not only watch the Luka Dončić and Goran Dragić videos, but to check out his other work, you won't be disappointed!

"I know it is virtually impossible for the video to have the same impact that Luka has on every single one of us," said director Miha Knific for the video's press release. "Maybe - hopefully, the music video will further contribute to his popularity."

With already over 250,000 views in the first 24 hours, My Name Is Luka is a fitting anthem for one of the league's most popular players. The release of the video hits during the perfect time too, with NBA All-Star voting opening up in a few more days. Last season, Doncic was the third-highest vote-getter with over 4.2 million votes as a rookie, trailing only behind LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.