Luka Doncic gave Dallas Mavericks fans and the entire country of Slovenia a scare on Friday.
The 24-year-old was seen hobbling during an exhibition game held in Athens against Greece’s national team. Doncic was fighting through a screen when he appeared to bang knees with Greek player Emmanouil Chatzidakis. Doncic exited the game in the second quarter and did not return.
Watching a player like Doncic grimace in pain while grabbing their knee will always be a worrisome sight. However, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports that Slovenia sees “no concerns” regarding Doncic’s knee after the game. Doncic’s exit was said to be precautionary.
Despite playing just 13 minutes in the contest, Doncic still managed to finish with 18 points and 3 three-pointers on 6-of-10 shooting from the field.
Slovenia is a dark-horse contender to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup. While it ranks seventh in the FIBA men’s basketball rankings ahead of the tournament, Doncic is arguably the best player in the entire tournament. It remains entirely possible that it could upset top teams Spain and USA.
After all, tournament favorite Team USA was unable to beat its own Select Team in scrimmages. A squad led by Doncic — as long as he stays healthy — could pose an even greater threat.
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