Is Luka Doncic ready for EuroBasket 2025? Latest update after knee scare vs Latvia
In yesterday's exhibition game for EuroBasket 2025 in Riga, Latvia's capital, the hosting nation faced Slovenia. The matchup was special because it reunited two former teammates whose relationship was often discussed—Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Their national team rivalry goes back to 2017, when Luka hadn't even entered the NBA yet.
Slovenia shockingly won gold on the backs of Goran Dragic and Doncic at that EuroBasket. In the quarterfinals, they narrowly eliminated Latvia, where Porzingis kept them in the game with 34 points until the final seconds, only for the Slovenians to pull through and ultimately go all the way. Fortunately, everything was fine between the former teammates, confirmed by a warm hug and a brief conversation before the game.
Doncic went to work
However, once the conversation ended, Doncic went to work, dominating in just 17 minutes of play with an incredible 26 points and five assists performance. At halftime, Slovenia led 52-50. Then, early in the third quarter, the entire arena went silent after a slick fall by a Porzingis teammate onto Doncic's knee after a drive to the basket. The replay looked scary, and Doncic's painful grimace didn't help. He ultimately did not return to the game, and Latvia went on an 18-0 run, completely turning the game in their favor.
What worried the Slovenians more than the loss was the injury, which many feared could put his EuroBasket participation at risk. The Slovenian Basketball Federation issued a statement regarding the injury yesterday.
"Luka Doncic, fortunately, did not suffer a serious injury in the game against Latvia. The result of an unfortunate incident in the middle of the third quarter is a contusion to the right knee. The team captain and his teammates will continue training on Monday in Stožice after a free week. The national team will be at full strength, as none of the hits sustained by players in the heat of the game caused any serious consequences," they stated.
It still appears to be a more serious injury than reported
Although it still appears to be a more serious injury than reported, for now, Slovenian fans and those of the Los Angeles Lakers remain calm. Doncic will likely work on a lighter program until the start of the tournament, which has the potential to become the greatest EuroBasket in history. His mission to bring Slovenia a new medal and have an MVP season with the Lakers, especially after visibly getting in better shape, was also confirmed by his former teammate Boban Marjanovic.
"I know his mental strength and how he works and how he basically plays for his national team every summer, even if he's tired from a full NBA season. He's still right now in the national team playing for his country. What makes him like yes, you know, you're never tired, you work hard, and everything he does, he works because of basketball," said Boban.
The whole world is eager to see Luka Magic at his best
From the earliest days of his career, Doncic prioritized playing for the national team. The gold from the aforementioned 2017 EuroBasket was the country's greatest achievement, and now Luka is on a mission, for the first time since the Dragic era, to single-handedly lead Slovenia to medals. His best performance since 2017 was at the 2021 Olympics, when Slovenia finished fourth.
If Doncic performs at the level of those games four years ago, when he first scored 48 points against Argentina and then added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 18 assists against the eventual finalist France, becoming only the third player in Olympic history to achieve that, Slovenia could go far.
However, a 0-4 record in exhibition games gives Slovenian coach Aleksander Sekulic reason for concern, as does the potential lingering effects of Doncic's unfortunate injury against Latvia. The tournament starts in about ten days, as the whole world is eager to see Luka Magic at his best.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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