Why Did Luka Doncic Slam Giorgio Armani’s Club Before EuroBasket 2025?

The world today mourns a pioneer in the Italian fashion industry. After having lived up to the ripe age of 91, billionaire brand owner Giorgio Armani breathed his last at his home, surrounded by his family, on Thursday. Given these unfortunate circumstances, it would be hard for basketball fans not to reflect on Luka Doncic’s recent criticism of the late fashion icon’s club, Olimpia Milano. As it turns out, the Slovenian’s criticism did not, in any way, present a personal critique of Giorgio Armani himself.

According to EuroHoops, Luka Doncic implied during a press conference, back in early August, that Vlatko Cancar and Josh Nebo, two key members of the Slovenian national team, will not play in the EuroBasket because they didn’t get permission from Olimpia Milan. However, the club says otherwise. In the aftermath of Luka Doncic making his claims, an official statement was released by Milan’s GM, Christos Stavropoulos.

Through the statement, he stated that “the health of our players has always been and always will be our priority. In the specific cases of Vlatko Cancar and Josh Nebo, I need to point out that both players are recovering from very serious injuries that severely limited their availability during the last season”. Stavropoulos further claimed that a procedure for the gradual return of the players to action will be implemented “in agreement with them”. This will be done to safeguard Cancar and Nebo’s health and long-term competitiveness.

Vlatko Cancar had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery back in early December 2024. He got the procedure done two weeks after a driving slam dunk resulted in a jolt of pain being sent up through his left leg during a game in Memphis. Cancar had already missed the 2023-24 season due to a torn ACL in the same knee, and had to drop out of the 2024-25 season after playing just 13 games.

Meanwhile, Josh Nebo had sustained multiple injuries over the last couple of months. He participated in just four EuroLeague games during his debut season with Milano. Back in May, after he returned to Milan’s lineup after more than 4 months of recovery from a right arm injury, he was sidelined again due to a reported right adductor strain. Looking at their recovery, Giorgio Armani’s club made a call.

Luka Doncic had not been too critical of the club. He had clearly stated about Milan that “I don’t hold anything against them. From what I understand, their club made the decision. It’s interesting — a club like the Lakers lets me play, but Milano doesn’t. In my opinion, it should always be the player’s decision, but they’re not to blame”. Nevertheless, he still wasn’t pleased.

Luka Doncic creating a feud with a foreign basketball team would not usually speak well of him. However, according to an NBA reporter, it showed he was ready to handle things in the long run.

Reporter Highlights That EuroBasket Beef Is Why Lakers Committed To Luka Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly sent shockwaves through the system after they acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. It reportedly sent a signal that the franchise had its new face after LeBron James retires from the NBA or leaves the team. The Slovenian certainly covered the base on the offensive front, as he averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in 50 games last season. However, what about the other aspects of the leadership role?

According to ‘Lake Show Life’ reporter Mikail Nakhuda, situations like the one with Olimpia Milano are not “really uncommon in international basketball”, since the clubs often protect their investments in regards to summer competitions. At the same time, as Nakhuda stated, “It is rare to see a player like Doncic speak so openly and forcefully about it. He is not just showing his frustration; he is displaying his leadership. That is exactly the kind of thing the Lakers invested in”.

Luka Doncic recently signed a 3-year, $165 million extension to stay in Los Angeles. This reportedly ensured that the Lakers will soon start positioning the Slovenian as the long-term face of the franchise. As Nakhuda added, “While his scoring ability is absolutely undeniable, it is moments like this that show why that extension is worth every dollar”.

What are your thoughts on Luka Doncic taking a stance against the now late fashion icon’s basketball club? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.