Luka Doncic’s campaign with Slovenia in the FIBA World Cup was shattered after a quarterfinal loss to Canada. Through the tournament, Doncic played with a knee injury which might hinder his chances for the upcoming NBA season. Right after the tournament, Doncic delivered a worrying statement that might cost his upcoming $40,064,220 season in perils.
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Luka Doncic recently sparked rumors to become the first NBA player to earn an annual salary of $80 million per year. However, ahead of that, he will enter the second year of his $215,159,700 extension. With this, he will be eligible to earn $40,064,220 this season.
Luka Doncic sparks concern about possible knee injury with his recent update
Luka Doncic reportedly played the entirety of his FIBA World Cup campaign, keeping his knee injury on the sidelines. He only missed the warmup game against Team USA because of this injury. Otherwise, Doncic was present throughout to help his team progress through the tournament.
Doncic was a crucial player for the Slovenian team, having scored 26 points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the quarterfinal match against Canada. However, he himself took the blame for Slovenia’s loss, despite such stellar performance for his team. Right after his FIBA exit, Doncic delivered a concerning statement about his knee injury. However, the Mavs star emphasized how he had given his all for his national team. Here is a clip of Luka’s statement, uploaded by Grant Afesth on X (formerly Twitter).
“We will have to see what happens with my leg. I need to prepare for the next game as well as the full NBA season. But here I am, I played, I have given my everything…”
Luka Doncic spoke about his leg injury after Slovenia’s loss to Lithuania.
“We will have to see what happens with my leg. I need to prepare for the next game as well as the full NBA season. But here I am, I played, I have given my everything…”
pic.twitter.com/vGQGZNMnBw— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) September 8, 2023
If this injury worsens further, Luka Doncic’s absence might be fatal for the Mavericks’ aspirations for the upcoming season. Nevertheless, the Slovenian has full faith in his performance, assuring the fans he would be back in full health for the upcoming NBA season.
The Mavs have high aspirations from Doncic and Kyrie Irving
The Mavs could not qualify for the playoffs last season due to their poor finish in the Conference standings. However, Dallas is hopeful for the 2023-24 season. This is the reason why they have re-signed Kyrie Irving and are aspiring for a great matchup with him and Luka Doncic.
One of the main reasons for the Mavericks’ last season’s playoff miss was Luka Doncic’s absence in the play-in games. Hence, it is extremely important for the franchise to ensure their star power remains intact and healthy through the course of the season.
