Jeff Taylor, Istanbul

When it comes to Slovenia national teams, surnames tend to be the same.

There are Lorbek brothers - Erazem, Domen and Klemen.

Erazem Lorbek, part of the All Tournament team in Poland could not make it to the World Championship

Erazem and Domen played for the national team at EuroBasket 2009.

There are the Udrih brothers - Samo and Beno.

Samo is the only one in this year's team.

Then there are the Brothers Dragic - Goran and his younger sibling, Zoran.

Goran starts at point guard this summer while Zoran, a shooting guard, is on the verge of breaking into the side.

There are no brother combinations in this year's squad at the FIBA World Championship, but there is a father-son combo.

When Jure Zdovc stepped down as coach before the end of last year, Slovenia turned to veteran coach Memi Becirovic.

He is the father of long-time Slovenia international Sani Becirovic.

Sani, 29, had to take a break from national team duty last year to rest a long-standing knee injury but he's back and now hearing orders from his dad.

He admits that there were some uncertain moments early on in national team training this summer.

"It was uncomfortable at the beginning," he said to Basketball World News.

"For a few days, I was nervous and I wasn't playing well.

"But once the other players saw us as just a coach and a player, everything was fine and it was no longer strange.

"I am just treated as the other players.

"I have played under him before and we know how to separate the personal from the professional."

The coach says the same thing.

"During the practice, during the games, I see him as a player - not as a son," he said.

"If I need him, I call him into the game. Or if he plays bad and I take him out, there is no emotion. We are both professional."

While Sani has hit the heights as a player, including being drafted by the Denver Nuggets several years ago, Memi was different.

"I play one-two (guard/point guard) positions," he said.

"I was not such a top level player. At 21 years of age, I had an injury in my hip and I quit my playing career and started with my coaching career."

What may come as a surprise is that this summer marks the first time that Memi has coached his son at such a high level.

"For the last 12 years - I hadn't coached him," Memi said.

Sani Becirovic and Slovenia are aiming high at the World Championship with a Quarter-Final spot very likely already

"I was just his father.

"Now we have the situation where we are together in the national team.

"For 12 years we didn't work together in a club or a national team so now it's a very interesting moment for both of us."

While Sani is happy to play for his father, the most important thing for him is that he is wearing a Slovenia shirt.

There is nothing quite like running onto the floor to represent your country, especially when you are one of the best-supported national teams in the world.

"It's great to be back," he said.

"We have a strong team.

"The players did such a great job last year at the EuroBasket.

"I was so proud of them.

"I wasn't able to play because I had to rest my knees but those that made it, took this national team to a new level by finishing fourth."