The FIBA EuroBasket 2025 is entering its final phase, with only the semifinals and finals left to play.
For Los Angeles Lakers fans, however, the tournament may have ended on a sour note with Slovenia's elimination.
NBA superstar Luka Doncic put on a historic performance, scoring 39 points—the highest-ever total in a EuroBasket quarterfinal—but even his heroics weren't enough to overcome world champion Germany and advance to the semifinals.
Still, the tournament only reinforced why the Lakers can feel confident having Luka on their roster, especially after locking him up with a three-year extension this past summer.
MVP season incoming?
Some NBA fans worry that international tournaments can be risky for superstars, who may face injury while representing their countries.
But Doncic emerged unscathed and in excellent form for the upcoming NBA season—his first full campaign with the Lakers.
He was unstoppable throughout the EuroBasket, finishing with a competition-best 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists.
"To me, he looked quicker, both offensively and defensively, and you can see it for yourself that every moment he looked good," Slovenia forward Edo Muric told BasketNews. "But European basketball is harder than the NBA to score. I think the true him will be even more dangerous than he is now, when we're gonna see him in the NBA."
Doncic's improved physique has given him a quicker first step, allowing him to dominate opponents more easily.
His speed was especially noticeable in pick-and-roll situations, where he attacked double teams with precision.
History also shows that strong international performances often precede stellar NBA seasons for Luka.
After the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 and FIBA World Cup 2023, he had two of his best seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.
In 2022-23, he averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists over 66 games. In 2023-24, his numbers jumped to 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists over 70 games, finishing in the Top 3 of MVP voting and leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals.
In both seasons following FIBA tournaments, he earned All-NBA First Team honors.
"As the Lakers, we're extremely supportive of Luka doing this [playing in EuroBasket]," Lakers and Slovenia assistant Greg St. Jean told BasketNews. "I've known him now for four years, and this is his favorite basketball he gets to play — playing with these teammates and being able to represent his country."
"This is a great ramp-up for the season," he added. "And he's taken his offseason really seriously, so this has been a good start and a good opportunity for the world to take a look at him and be able to see him and see the new in-shape Luka. And he's done a great job, so we're excited for how that's going to carry over."
Now, Doncic is in an even better physical shape thanks to his new diet and conditioning program.
New leadership package unlocked
Okay, we all know that Doncic is an undisputed leader of his national team, but with each year, he's becoming increasingly vocal in the locker room and during timeouts—sometimes even stepping into a head coaching role.
His leadership's rise was especially evident during the EuroBasket 2025 knockout stage in Riga.
For example, in the Round of 16 against Italy, Luka delivered an emotional timeout speech to calm his teammates:
"We're up by seven, calm the f*** down, everyone. You're all nervous, it's seven points. Focus, we don't need to f***ing fight each other. We're against them, not against ourselves, come on!"
Team members noticed his leadership, too.
"I think in a national team jersey, you see his leadership a little bit more. I think that's something that he's going to continue to do even more with the Lakers," Greg St. Jean noted. "I think he's taking pride in that. He's maturing and growing. Obviously, he's still a young star, and he's finding his leadership voice."
"I think that's something that I am going to challenge him, and I know our Lakers staff will continue to do," St. Jean went on to say. "Him and LeBron are great leaders, and they're going to do a great job helping our team next year."
"Every year he's more vocal and vocal," teammate Edo Muric added before EuroBasket. "This is what we need from him. He's our leader, and this needs to be done on the court and off the court. That's why I say he's maturing; he knows what he's talking about, and it's really a pleasure to follow him."
Credit FIBA Media
Despite missing key teammates like long-time Denver Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar and naturalized American center Josh Nebo, Luka remained positive and believed in a gold-medal run.
After Slovenia's quarterfinal loss, he posted a team photo on Instagram with the caption: "Proud!" alongside heart and Slovenian flag emojis—a small but yet another telling example of his leadership.
Credit Luka Doncic/Instagram Story
Deandre Ayton should be smiling
Another reason for the Lakers' optimism is the connection and potential on-court chemistry between Luka and their new center, Deandre Ayton.
Ayton has a similar profile to Alen Omic, who was Slovenia's starting big man at EuroBasket 2025—but with a much higher, star-level skill set.
If Omic was able to average 7.3 points and 7.9 rebounds in 22 minutes per game alongside Luka, Ayton should be able to excel even more.
Last season, Ayton attempted just 32 three-pointers over 40 games, making six.
Essentially, he's not a three-point shooter in the NBA—he's attempted just 0.3 threes per game over his seven-year career in Phoenix and Portland, shooting 23% from deep.
For context, Omic didn't attempt a single three-pointer in his seven EuroBasket games. His points came primarily from offensive rebounds and pick-and-roll situations created by Luka.
Credit FIBA Media
This is where Doncic's playmaking could unlock the best version of Ayton.
With Luka's elite pick-and-roll skills, Ayton would get easier scoring opportunities as a rim-runner and lob threat.
Luka's ability to draw double-teams would also free Ayton for mid-range shots he's comfortable taking.
Unlike his time in Portland, Ayton wouldn't need to create offense on his own, allowing him to focus on finishing, rebounding, and defense.
Statistically, Ayton is poised for a career year in Los Angeles.
His best scoring season came during his sophomore year in Phoenix, when he averaged 18.2 points over 38 games in the 2019-20 campaign.
He has consistently averaged a double-double in every season of his career, but alongside Doncic, he should also hit new personal highs in scoring.
All in all, Luka's EuroBasket 2025 heroics show he's in peak form, and that momentum should directly elevate the L.A. Lakers next season.
Luka's Exit From EuroBasket Was Confusing
Pijus Sapetka
Pijus Sapetka began his basketball media career in 2021, building on years of closely following the sport. Since then, he has reported from a variety of basketball events, including the EuroLeague Playoffs, Lithuanian Cups, LKL Finals, EuroCup games, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, and Goran Dragic's Farewell Game. He holds a degree in Journalism & PR.
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