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Los Angeles Lakers
Aug 17, 2025 11:02 AM EDT
The EuroBasket 2025 tournament officially tips off on Aug. 27, but several exhibition matchups have already taken place in the lead-up. One of the latest came Saturday afternoon, when Slovenia faced Latvia.
Representing Slovenia was none other than Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, who gave fans a scare early in the third quarter after a teammate was pushed into his lower leg, sending him to the floor in clear pain.
Doncic grimaced while favoring his right leg but was able to walk to the locker room under his own power. Fortunately, he avoided any serious injury and was diagnosed with a right knee contusion—welcome news for both Slovenia and Lakers fans.
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With another exhibition game scheduled for Tuesday, Doncic’s status drew an update on Sunday. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Slovenia’s basketball federation announced Doncic will return to practice Monday. His availability for Tuesday’s matchup against Great Britain will be determined closer to game time.
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Just a few weeks ago, Luka Doncic made headlines by agreeing to a three-year max contract extension with the Lakers, shortly after being shockingly traded to L.A. midseason by the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and draft compensation.
In his brief stint with the Lakers—28 regular-season games and one postseason series—Doncic proved enough to convince the organization he’s the centerpiece of their future. It also appears Doncic is fully bought into that vision.
Lakers G Luka DOncic
Lakers G Luka Doncic
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images — Source: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
This offseason, the 26-year-old is in the best shape of his career, having turned the constant scrutiny over his conditioning into motivation. He even graced the cover of Men’s Health, revealing a new training regimen that’s helped him shed 31 pounds.
For now, Doncic appears set to continue playing with Slovenia through the rest of the summer, but with the NBA season just over 60 days away, anticipation is already building for his first full year in the Purple and Gold.
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Cole Sullivan