Luka Dončić continues to embrace everything that comes with being a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on and off the court.
Luka Dončić continues to embrace everything that comes with being a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, even more so in recent months ahead of his first full season with the team.
Dončić, who was traded to L.A. on Feb. 2 in a late-night shocking move by the Dallas Mavericks, is in line to serve as the face of the Lakers’ franchise.
While the start of the 2025-26 NBA season is in the foreseeable future, he is currently in Poland working with the Slovenian national team for the EuroBasket tournament.
“Playing for my country is an honor for me,” Dončić told KCAL News Sports Central. “I try to bring medals to the country, and I'm just getting ready for the season.”
While he is away from the Lakers, two of the organization’s most notable figures, team governor Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, were among the team’s contingent that traveled to Poland to visit with the international superstar during his final practice before the tournament.
Dončić had an injury scare in recent weeks when a Slovenian teammate fell on his right knee during an exhibition game against Latvia.
He was cleared to return after he was diagnosed with a minor contusion (bruise) on his knee, but did not suffer any structural damage.
The Lakers’ front office has continued to express its support for Dončić and his desire to play for his home country.
“Zero problems (with Dončić’s decision),” Pelinka said. “It’s something that we believe in, for the Lakers organization and (the Slovenian) leadership and their executives have been great. It’s been a collaborative partnership with them.”
Part of that collaboration has included having Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean on the Slovenian coaching staff.
Luka Dončić remains active with Lakers during offseason
Despite his preparation for the EuroBasket Tournament, he’s managed to stay active and present when needed with the Lakers.
Dončić agreed to a three-year max contract extension with the Lakers worth $165 million in early August.
After holding a press conference with the Lakers in Los Angeles, he took a trip to Las Vegas along with the team's players and executives to a Backstreet Boys concert earlier this month.
Dončić’s extension puts him at the forefront of the Lakers’ future going forward as the face of the franchise.
He told reporters during his introductory press conference in February after the trade that he wanted to win a championship for the Lakers.
He hasn’t backed down from that same statement during various interviews this week.
“I’m just trying to be the best I can be,” Dončić said during an interview with Complex. “At the end of the day, I’m playing basketball, and I want to win. That’s our goal from the start to the finish of the season.
Luka Dončić partners with Overwatch
While Dončić continues his quest for his first NBA championship, he’s also continued to hold firm on his ranking among the world’s best players on Overwatch.
It was recently announced that the NBA All-Star had partnered with the team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game.
He’s expected to be featured in the game in some capacity, with the game’s players having the opportunity to earn exclusive Dončić-related rewards and play in his “custom Stadium builds” during Season 18 of the game, which began Tuesday.
Overwatch and Dončić collaborated on an Instagram post, which featured the Slovenian’s face alongside the face of Cole Cassidy, previously known as McCree, one of the playable characters in the game, and one that Dončić is known to use.
In 2024, he shared a screenshot on Instagram that he had reached the Top 500 milestone on the tank role in the game.
Dončić told Complex that he hasn’t had much time to play the game while he was overseas with the national team, but believes he still ranks in the 400s.
“I’ll probably start playing when I’m back in L.A.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luka Doncic strengthens relationship with Lakers, Overwatch
Category: Basketball
