LA Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is gearing up to hit the court for the first time since the NBA season ended.
EuroBasket begins later this month and several NBA stars are preparing to represent their national teams. Luka Doncic will be one of the top stars on show, hoping to lead Slovenia to the title.
Doncic is fresh off a US media tour showcasing his new body transformation, before signing a three-year contract extension with the LA Lakers.
He will be in action for the first time on Friday when Slovenia face Germany in a pre-tournament friendly.
Slovenia’s game with Germany will see Doncic’s new fitness put to the test for the first time.
Speaking to Slovenian outlet Dnevnik, Doncic says it was never in doubt that he would play for Slovenia at EuroBasket.
He explained: “Whenever I have the opportunity to play for the national team, I do it. Because I am healthy, the decision to play this time was not difficult for me at all.”
Referring to his hard offseason work, he said: “There were always a lot of questions about my weight and physical fitness, but I think I was already an excellent basketball player.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming game, Doncic says he expects to play substantial minutes, but will check on the reaction from his body as he plays competitively for the first time since the start of May.
He explained: “In my opinion, I will not play the entire match. I will definitely get enough minutes to play, but a lot will depend mainly on how my body feels. So far, I feel really good.”
Doncic admitted he felt a little tired due to the time difference between America and Slovenia, but said he has enjoyed practice with his teammates and competing in team scrimmage for the first time in months.
He explained: “I think I had two very good training sessions with my teammates. For the first time since the end of the NBA season, I trained five-on-five and I have to say that it’s a completely different feeling and rhythm. But I think I’m doing well anyway.”
It has been a challenging year for Luka Doncic, who was traded away by the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers.
Their decision was down to their reluctance to pay him the supermax contract he was entitled to, and linked to their concerns over his conditioning.
When asked about the Slovenia coach being under pressure, Doncic referred to his own experience, and said he intended to focus purely on what he can do to help.
He said: “I’m here to play basketball. Criticism has always been, is and will be, I’m used to it, because I also have countless critics. It’s just part of the sport and you can’t do without it. Like every player, I always try to give my maximum and play as well as possible.”
