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.
![Josh Green may have played significant minutes during Game 6, but it was his postgame interview that caught all the attention. While being interviewed by ESPN Australia, Green had a hilarious conversation about Luka Doncic that hilariously disclosed the latter’s fear of spiders and snakes. The Australian even revealed he insisted that Doncic visit his home country, but the latter immediately declined. During the interview, Josh announced that the 6ft 7” guard would be visiting Australia in the upcoming offseason. With Doncic noticeably surprised, an amusing back-and-forth immediately ensued. Luka: “ESPN Australia!” Green: “Luka is coming to Australia this offseason...” Luka: “No there's too many spiders... I’m afraid of snakes and spiders” The five-time All-Star also claimed that Aussies didn’t “like” him. Luka: “They don’t like me.” Green: “They love you. I told him that everyone loves him in Australia but he doesn’t listen to me.” [per Kane Pitman] Josh Green and Luka Doncic just now. Luka: "ESPN Australia!" Green: "Luka is coming to Australia this offseason..." Luka: "No there's too many spiders..." Green: "I've seen none of Slovenia..probably a reason for that..." Luka: "We have no spiders..." It continued.... pic.twitter.com/YokuFVhakq — Kane Pitman (@KanePitman) May 19, 2024 There could be one potential reason for the crowd in Australia not “liking” him. During the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Luka rallied the Slovenian team to defeat Patty Mills and co. 91-80 in the second round of the tournament. Having already lost to Germany in the first round, the 11-point loss resulted in Australia’s elimination from the campaign. So, while Doncic may have only been doing his job, Australia does indeed have a reason to dislike the Slovenian superstar. That said, perhaps he shouldn't count out his chances of a peaceful visit to the country just yet. Luka Doncic could visit Australia due to his friendship with Kyrie Irving Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports Kyrie Irving has been successful while playing FIBA tournaments, having won the 2010 FIBA Americans U18 Championship, the 2014 FIBA World Cup, and the 2016 Olympics. However, despite achieving all of these while representing Team USA, Irving is actually an Australian citizen. The Mavericks star moved to the USA at a young age after being born in Melbourne, Australia. On numerous occasions in his career, he has contemplated representing his birth nation. However, he claims that Coach K influenced his decision and eventually convinced him to play for Team USA instead. “I consider myself an international player even though I played on Team USA,” Irving told Fox Sports. “Team USA asked me to play for them when I was 17 or 18 ... I wanted to play for Australia, but it just didn't happen. Coach K wasn't going to let that happen either.” “I mean, he's Coach K. As a young fella, he definitely did tell me I had a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself and ultimately being the starting point guard on the US Olympic team.” Kyrie and his former coach (at Duke University) found success, winning gold medals in the FIBA World Cup and Olympics. Luka Doncic has often expressed his love for Kyrie, and vice-versa. Apart from lauding each other for the players that they are, they seem to be more proud of each other’s humble personalities. Considering that the two are so close on and off the court, there could be a possibility that Doncic can travel to Australia without receiving threats from the public for his hand in knocking them out of the World Cup. However, given his many fears, it's unlikely the Slovenian superstar ever considers taking the option.](https://cdn-wp.thesportsrush.com/2024/05/dc36b81e-untitled-design-2024-05-19t145959.456.jpg?format=auto&w=384&q=75)
