The Los Angeles Lakers are banking on Luka Doncic to take the torch from LeBron James once James decides to retire from basketball, but in order for that to happen, Doncic will obviously have to stay healthy.
So you know the Lakers are definitely holding their collective breath right now after seeing Doncic suffer a potential injury while playing for Slovenia during the EuroBasket 2025 tournament.
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While facing Latvia, Doncic got tangled up with a couple of players and appeared to injure his knee. He then asked out of the game and headed to the locker room.
Luka Doncic’s teammate fell into him and the Lakers star appeared to injure his knee.Doncic asked out of the game and went back to the Slovenia locker room. pic.twitter.com/RLSDjpeQkS
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 16, 2025
This is obviously the last thing the Lakers — or NBA fans in general — want to see from one of the league’s brightest stars.
Los Angeles initially acquired Doncic in a shocking blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks midway through the 2024-25 campaign.
As part of a three-team trade that also included the Utah Jazz, the Lakers sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick to the Mavericks, a deal that was widely frowned upon by fans and media pundits everywhere.
Doncic had just led the Mavericks to an NBA Finals appearance the season prior and appeared to be building an indelible legacy in Dallas, but overall, he spent just six-and-a-half seasons there before his Mavs tenure came to a close.
He played 50 games in total between the Mavericks and Lakers last season, averaging 28.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.8 steals over 35.4 minutes per game on 45.0/36.8/78.2 shooting splits. Injuries limited Doncic for much of the season, resulting in the 26-year-old failing to make an All-Star appearance for the first time since his rookie year.
Part of the reason the Mavericks ultimately traded Doncic was because of his conditioning and checkered injury history. He has played in 70 games just twice in his NBA career, and if this knee injury ends up being anything serious, there is a chance he could miss some time at the start of the 2025-26 campaign, which is just two months away.
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Doncic owns lifetime averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 boards and 8.2 assists per game on 46.8/35.0/75.1 splits. The former No. 3 overall pick is not exactly known for his defensive chops, but he is such an offensive dynamo that you learn to deal with his deficiencies on the other end of the floor.
Hopefully, Doncic is just fine and will be able to return to action promptly. If not, it could create a litany of problems for Los Angeles heading into the new NBA season.
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The post Lakers’ Luka Doncic Suffers Potential Injury Playing for Slovenia appeared first on Newsweek.
