In a EuroBasket warm-up match against Latvia on Saturday, Lakers guard Luka Dončić played for his home country of Slovenia. Dončić had to leave the game for a while after being shoved into by a Slovenian teammate.
NBA players and fans are already coping with injury scares, even though the season is still two months away.
Luka appeared to injure himself on this play and went back to the locker room. 😬
(via @LukaUpdates) pic.twitter.com/n1ENEbRaAk
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) August 16, 2025
Reports soon seemed to imply that Dončić was not gravely injured as he retreated to the locker room. Later, veteran reporter Marc Stein stated that Dončić had a contusion on his right knee. The Latvians led Slovenia by 12 points going into the last frame, but he did return to help them make a comeback.
Slovenia is paired with Belgium, France, Iceland, Israel, and Poland for EuroBasket, which kicks off on August 27. They will play Poland in their opening match on August 28.
Los Angeles supporters will probably keep a close eye on Dončić’s foreign accomplishments because the five-time All-Star’s performance here is crucial to the Lakers’ chances of winning the 2026 NBA Championship, especially now that he has a big new deal.
