Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Luka Doncic is currently with the Slovenia national team as it prepares for this year’s FIBA EuroBasket tournament. On Saturday, Slovenia faced off against Latvia for one of its warm-up games.
Unfortunately for Slovenia, and certainly for Lakers fans, things didn’t go according to plan. Midway through the third quarter, Doncic was injured as one of his teammates fell into him. Doncic was able to leave the court on his own and later returned to the team’s bench.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, Doncic was fortunate and avoided a major injury. However, the tension that moment caused for the Lakers front office, his teammates and fans around the world was palpable.
Doncic recently signed a three-year, $160M contract extension with the Lakers. They’ve spent this summer building out a roster that suits his style of play.
Potentially losing Doncic to an international warmup game would have been a tough blow for the Lakers.
Season-altering injuries have occurred during international play before. Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL during a World Cup Qualifier while playing for Italy, just weeks after signing with the Boston Celtics in 2022. Los Angeles will undoubtedly want to avoid a similar fate.
While Doncic appears to have escaped injury in this instance, it may be wise for Slovenia to take some extra precautions with the star throughout the rest of the warmup schedule. After all, he is unlikely to turn down a chance to represent his country, but he also has a commitment to the Lakers.
As more and more European talents make their way to the NBA, there may need to be some guidelines in how both teams and countries approach these warmup games moving forward.
