The 2023 FIBA World Cup was riddled with upsets. One such upset was a 7th-place finish by Slovenia. Slovenia, which was being led by NBA superstar Luka Doncic, fell apart after they crashed out against Canada in the quarters. But the loss wasn’t a huge surprise, as Luka Doncic had informed the media of his struggles with a nagging knee injury. The news was especially disturbing as Doncic is also set to play in the upcoming NBA season for Dallas Mavericks, for which he is expected to make $40,064,220. But the loss hasn’t seemed to slow Luka down much, as the Mavericks star was seen partying in a club after an early exit from the tournament.
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Slovenia, one of the favorites to win it all, crashed out early in the tournament. The group leaders lost to Canada in the quarter-finals. A few days before that, Luka decided to talk about some issues that had plagued his game. He told reporters that he had been struggling with an injury to his knee and that he would assess his availability based on how he felt. The news was especially devastating for Mavericks fans, as this season was supposed to be the year Kyrie Irving and Luka brought The O’Brien trophy home.
Luka ‘lets loose’ before heading back to Dallas for training camp
After losing to Canada in the quarter-finals of the FIBA World Cup 2023 in the Philippines, Luka Doncic and company decided to blow off some steam. The Mavericks guard was seen letting loose while in some club back home in Slovenia. Understandably, the youngster would like to relax before he has to head back for training camp in Dallas.
Luka Doncic Dance Cam pic.twitter.com/mqQYfekzsC
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) September 14, 2023
But it seems like Luka was even able to sneak in a little party with his quarter-final rivals Canada. A recent video of Doncic attending a club back in the Philippines with members of the Canadian national team went viral recently. Though no one questioned Luka’s loyalty to the sport and his country, the youngster’s competitive spirit came under fire.
Luka Doncic partying in the same club as Bronze medalists Canada 🙌 pic.twitter.com/kWcZZN471D
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 10, 2023
Luka is ‘instrumental’ in the Mavericks possible title run next season
Last season was a nightmare for the Dallas Mavericks, as the franchise didn’t even qualify for the playoff. With the recent acquisition of Kyrie Irving and other pieces, there are a lot of expectations on Luka Doncic to lead the team to a Championship. But Luka isn’t the only one under pressure, as even Kyrie has to show up and play well, unlike his performance in Brooklyn.
With the dynamic duo of Kyrie and Luka, leading the Mavericks, many consider it do-or-die time for them as no one knows for how long either one of them is going to stay at Dallas. Kyrie has expressed his desire to win another Championship, and his idea seems to be equally felt by Luka and the squad.