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NBA Rumors: Luka Dončić Avoided Injury After Exiting Slovenia Exhibition Game – Bleacher Report
It appears the cautious route was the correct route for Luka Dončić.
The Slovenian superstar was competing in an exhibition game with the Slovenian national team against Greece when he made knee-on-knee contact with Greek defender Emmanouil Chatzidakis in the first half and left the game. Thankfully, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported there are no concerns about Dončić’s injury.
"No concerns," source tells ESPN after Luka Doncic banged knees during Slovenia's exhibition loss to Greece today. Doncic exited early as a precaution. <a href="https://t.co/IzKIjwZvOb">https://t.co/IzKIjwZvOb</a>
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein added that Dončić did not suffer an injury at all and that the guard was not expected to play in the second half anyway.
Luka Dončić, I'm told, did not sustain an injury tonight and was only scheduled to play in the first half of Slovenia's road exhibition game in Greece.<br><br>More NBA from me: <a href="https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq">https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq</a>
Dončić and Team Slovenia are preparing for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which is scheduled to begin August 25.
While Dončić avoiding a significant injury is huge for Slovenia’s chance in the tournament, it also is a huge sigh of relief for Dallas Mavericks fans and NBA enthusiasts in general. The 24-year-old is among the top players in the NBA. He is a four-time All-Star and All-NBA selection and averaged north of 30 points for the first time in his career in 2022-23.
He is set to co-star alongside Kyrie Irving in Dallas, and the two make up a core that could be a factor in the Western Conference playoff picture in 2023-24. The franchise, without Irving, was able to advance to the Conference Finals in 2022, but struggled and missed out on the postseason last season.
While Dončić’s career has been excellent to this point, injuries have played a significant presence. He has not eclipsed 70 games played in a season since 2018-19, his rookie season, and has dealt with major ankle issues as well as various calf, knee and back tweaks.
As for the immediate future, Dončić is set to lead a Slovenian team that is ranked No. 7 in the World into the tournament, and they are set to be paired with Cape Verde, Georgia and Venezuela in Group F of the World Cup.