The Los Angeles Lakers' 2025-26 season ended disappointingly yesterday with a 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, resulting in a four-game sweep by the reigning champions. Luka Doncic, who watched the game from the sidelines, announced on Instagram that he will not represent the Slovenian national team this summer.
Instead, he is prioritizing a custody battle for his daughters, stating that after months of limited contact, his responsibilities as a father take precedence over his international basketball career.
A significant medical revelation also dashed the Lakers' hopes for a postseason return, as a report from the New York Times indicated that the hamstring injury Doncic sustained in early April was far more severe than initially diagnosed.
An MRI in Dallas had indicated a Grade 2 lower hamstring strain, but a follow-up evaluation in Spain revealed a “deeper and more severe” injury.
This finding effectively ruled out any chance of Doncic playing in the playoffs, leaving the Lakers without their superstar against a dominant Thunder defense.
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The absence of Doncic's on-court presence raised questions about his involvement from the bench.
Earlier in the series, Lakers coach JJ Redick was asked by Law Murray of The Athletic about Doncic's role in strategizing or boosting team morale from the sidelines.
Redick provided a blunt response, stating that he hadn’t seen much contribution from Doncic and was unaware of what he was communicating to teammates during the heat of the game.
Although Doncic remained the team's most prominent supporter in street clothes, the combination of his severe injury and the Thunder's strong play proved too much for the short-handed Lakers to overcome.
The Los Angeles Lakers' 2025-26 season ended disappointingly yesterday with a 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, resulting in a four-game sweep by the reigning champions. Luka Doncic, who watched the game from the sidelines, announced on Instagram that he will not represent the Slovenian national team this summer.