Luka Doncic could only sit courtside and cheer for his Los Angeles Lakers teammates while they were getting beaten by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Slovenian understood well how his inclusion would have turned the tide of the series. A Grade 2 hamstring strain kept him away for the last six weeks, which arguably defeats the purpose of having a great regular season. And sitting out the “best time to play basketball” ate away at Doncic. But in reality, he was never close to returning…

Many reports contrarily claimed the six-time All-Star could’ve been back in the second round. ESPN even had Doncic’s return date as Game 5. Regardless, the Slovenian missing crucial game time drew extreme reactions, and some of that fire came from WWE legend Ric Flair. “Take A Shot Of Cortisone And Deal With The Pain! They Are Paying You 50 Million A Year, And You’re Not There! WTF! I Hope @JeanieBuss Trades You Next Year. Nobody Wants A Lame Duck On Their Team!” one of Flair’s tweets read. During last night’s concluding press conference, Doncic addressed both angry fans and twisted media narratives.

“There was some stuff in the media that went out that wasn’t true. Nobody of those people saw my MRIs, know nothing. So, it wasn’t really true,” the Lakers star said during his exit interview. “If I could be out there, I would be 100%. Everybody in that room knows that.” Doncic, though, did have a soft spot for Lakers fans who wished he were out there, calling the entire process “very frustrating.”

This was a rather calm reaction in comparison to how Flair went after him on social media. After the Game 3 loss, the 77-year-old posted, “@lukadoncic, There Is Only One Word That I Can Possibly Say, And That’s DISAPPOINTED. 46 Million Dollars, And You Can’t Play. OMG, I Would Jump Off The Empire State Building With A Parachute For 46 Million Dollars A Year, And I Don’t Even Know How To Pull The Cord To Open It, But I Would Take My Chances.”

Doncic would be the first person to put on a bandage wherever necessary just to play. He played in the 2024 NBA Finals, practically looking like an Egyptian mummy during pregame shootaround. But in this case, as much as he would have wanted to return early, Doncic revealed he was still a few weeks away from resuming contact drills. He felt disheartened since he couldn’t help his teammates during the playoffs. But he also knows there wasn’t much he could do after going to Spain to get platelet-rich plasma therapy and possibly boost his recovery. But the All-NBA guard only progressed to stationary shooting.

He finished the season on a note of acceptance. This year wasn’t meant to be. But he’s doing everything necessary to ensure the future is bright.

Luka Doncic plans to focus on two things this summer

Luka Doncic had some tough moments, both on and off the court. The injury was one battle to fight, while also dealing with a joint custody battle for his two daughters. At one point, basketball was an escape. However, Doncic has seen his newborn daughter, Olivia, not more than twice. For the Slovenian, being a father means much more than anything, including basketball. So after dedicating himself to the entire season with the Lakers, he’s focusing on himself.

For that reason, the six-time All-Star announced he won’t be playing for Slovenia during the summer. Instead, he wants to spend time with his daughters. Along with that, the next thing on his mind is to fully recover. Because after his first breakup with the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic is finally making LA his home.

“I feel very comfortable. I like living here. I like playing for the Lakers. It’s one of the best organizations in the world. So, just being a Laker, it means a lot to me,” Doncic said.

If you see, the goal this summer isn’t any different. Doncic is still committed to staying in shape and polishing his game. And being happy is the way forward for Doncic to return to his peak and feel at ease. He might have double the responsibility on his shoulders without LeBron James next season.