Luka Doncic had barely finished shaking hands after signing a massive three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers before boarding a flight back to Slovenia. But just days into preparations, the unthinkable happened. Doncic limped off the floor Saturday in Slovenia’s exhibition loss to Latvia, clutching his knee after a teammate crashed into him. Slovenia’s heartbeat limped off the court, ice strapped to his leg, and a nation held its breath. So did the Lakers. After all, they just bet their future on him. 

But by Tuesday, Doncic was back in uniform, cleared to play in another exhibition against Great Britain. With EuroBasket 2025 looming, the bigger question remained unanswered. Why are the Lakers willing to take this risk at all? According to Luka, they are encouraging his decision to play for Slovenia. He confirmed as much himself, “They support me, they really support me and encourage me to the maximum.” The reason? Well, it’s about Luka preparing to take over Los Angeles.

Even Stephen A. Smith, agreed it might not be that bad of an idea to let the Slovenia star play for his national team. “Normally, I would say yes. But in this case, I’m going to say no,” Smith said on First Take. “He missed a lot of last season in Dallas before he got traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though he was out of shape in a lot of people’s eyes, he still averaged 28, 8, and 7…He’s got his money, and now he’s out there trying to work himself into the best shape of his life. If this is how he chooses to do it, I don’t knock him one bit.”

Last season, Doncic’s trade from Dallas to LA was one of the most shocking moves of the year. Injuries, questions about fitness, and early playoff exits defined his final days with the Mavericks. But since arriving in LA, Doncic has dropped 31 pounds, dominated in the second half of the season, and signed a multi-million three-year contract.

Considering all of this, Smith believes that if Doncic chooses to prepare for the NBA season by playing for Slovenia in EuroBasket, it’s a valid decision. After all, he’s merely doubling down on progress by playing.

Doncic returns to court for Slovenia after scare

The moment Luka went down on Saturday, it was panic time. Latvia’s Gregor Hrovat got pushed into Doncic’s lower legs, and the 26-year-old collapsed under the basket, limped to the locker room, iced his knee on the bench, and didn’t return. Thankfully, on Monday, he was back at practice. The diagnosis came back positive, just a contusion. 

“The players are eagerly waiting for him,” said Slovenia’s head coach Aleksander Sekulic. “He has a strong impact on the team, not just on the court. I’m glad he showed a high level of motivation ahead of the European Championship. He wants to show that, if we approach the job the right way, we can achieve a lot at the European Championship.” Luka is locked in, and there is no stepping back from this momentum by playing in EuroBasket, Luka is sharpening, and the Lakers understand that.

Doncic is playing under the full blessing of the Lakers. The franchise reportedly struck a direct deal with the Slovenian Basketball Federation, allowing Doncic to join his national team under the condition that a Lakers coach would accompany him throughout the tournament. Federation president Matej Erjavec put it simply, “Within two minutes in a meeting with Rob Pelinka, he stressed, ‘Well, you will get Luka and one coach, and that’s it.’ And with that, we were done. There was no debate at all.” 

Doncic dropped 19 against Germany and lit up Latvia for 26 points in just one half before the injury. “Yeah, he’s faster and jumps more,” said Slovenia veteran Edo Muric. “And this year, I expect him to be the best version of himself.” There’s always a risk when a franchise player suits up for his country in the offseason, especially after signing a nine-figure deal.

But Luka Doncic is grinding his way into shape, preparing to lead Slovenia to a medal, and coming back to LA with momentum. The Lakers see that, and they’re embracing it.