Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Lakers get encouraging Luka Doncic injury update

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 2:12 PM ET

On Saturday, Luka Doncic suffered an injury during a Slovenian national team warm-up game against Latvia. Doncic is currently preparing for the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket tournament.

The injury occurred when one of Doncic's teammates crashed into his legs. Doncic left the court of his own volition and was seen back on the bench shortly after.

Nevertheless, Lakers fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst. After all, Rob Pelinka has spent this summer rebuilding the Lakers roster around Doncic. An injury during a warm-up game would have been a disaster.

In a Sunday report on X from Marc Stein, it was confirmed that Doncic has avoided injury and is scheduled to practice with the Slovenian team on Monday.

"Luka Doncic is scheduled to be back at practice Monday, Slovenia’s basketball federation has announced, with his official status still TBD for Tuesday’s @EuroBasket warmup game at home against Great Britain," Stein reported.

Luka Dončić is scheduled to be back at practice Monday, Slovenia’s basketball federation (@kzs_si) has announced, with his official status still TBD for Tuesday’s @EuroBasket warmup game at home against Great Britain.

More NBA from me: https://t.co/K79KvJ5u6I https://t.co/A4CZLP6IPb
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 17, 2025

Despite the scare, Doncic will undoubtedly continue to play a role for Slovenia throughout the upcoming tournament. He's one of the best players competing in the event and will likely have a significant role in marketing FIBA's European championship to a wider audience, specifically those in North America.

Of course, the best way for Doncic to do that is by remaining healthy and putting on a show whenever he steps onto the court. The hope will be that he comes through the tournament unscathed and heads back to Los Angeles ready to enjoy a dominant season with the Lakers.

Doncic got lucky in avoiding a serious injury on Saturday. However, the benefits of competing in such a high-level tournament likely outweigh the risks. Doncic and multiple other elite European talents will likely hit the ground running when the new season starts, and that can only be a good thing for the NBA and its early season product.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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