Luka Doncic, Lakers
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic.
The Los Angeles Lakers are prepping for a longterm future built around superstar Luka Doncic who made headlines this summer by working his way into what is ostensibly the best physical shape of his NBA career.
Doncic — a loyal professional actor in nature by literally every available account — inked a three-year contract with the league’s marquee franchise earlier this month, which removed an enormous potential weight around the Lakers’ proverbial neck.
Had Doncic decided not to extend this summer, he would have retained an opt-out clause in his contract that would have allowed him to enter unrestricted free agency next offseason. His choice to sign the deal gives L.A. runway to build a legitimate contender around him, potentially in the post-LeBron James era, which could begin as early as 2026-27.
However, Doncic’s loyalty proved on Saturday, August 16, to be something of a double-edged sword. The five-time First-Team All-NBA performer plays for his home country of Slovenia every time an opportunity to do so presents itself. One such chance comes available later this month via EuroBasket, also known as the European Basketball Championship, which begins in late August and runs through mid-September.
As expected, Doncic chose to participate. But in an exhibition game against Latvia on Saturday in preparation for the tournament, Doncic suffered one of the worst possible outcomes of a decision to play in a non-NBA context.
“Luka Doncic’s teammate just fell on him in the paint,” Legion Hoops posted to X. “He’s signaling that he’s hurt and is heading to the locker room with an injury. Brutal.”
The severity of the issue was not immediately clear, nor was Doncic’s status for the remainder of Slovenia’s exhibition contest against the Latvian National Team or the tournament in the coming weeks.
The author will update this post.