Luka Dončić gave the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans a big scare over the weekend after going down with a knee injury during Slovenia’s Eurobasket exhibition against Latvia.
The incident happened in the third quarter when teammate Gregor Hrovat accidentally collided with Dončić while backpedaling on defense. Dončić, who was planted in the lane battling for position, immediately felt the impact and took a seat on the sideline to gather himself.
NOOOO LUKA GOT INJURED AND LIMPED TO THE LOCKER ROOM 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/0rtMZ1WZrr
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) August 16, 2025
Luka was later diagnosed with a knee contusion, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein.
Importantly, Stein added that “the injury is not believed to be serious.”
The sight of the Lakers’ new $165 million star limping to the locker room sent waves of panic through the arena and across social media. Dončić walked off under his own power but was clearly favoring his right leg.
Despite the concern, Dončić reappeared on the bench with an ice bag strapped to his knee, still in full uniform and eager to check back in. Slovenia’s medical staff made the call to keep him out of the remainder of the game, even though he “wanted to return to the game,” according to the broadcast.
Before exiting, Dončić had already shown off his dominance, racking up 26 points in just 17 minutes of action, while also grabbing four rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Dončić and Slovenia will now shift their focus to the start of EuroBasket. The team opens group play on August 28 against Poland, with other NBA stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić and Kristaps Porziņģis also set to feature in the tournament.
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