Luka Doncic has returned to Slovenia for a medical evaluation of his knee by the national team’s staff, ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, Greece, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Basketball.
Slovenia is set to play Croatia on the first day of the tournament, July 2. Doncic, whose NBA season ended on June 17, was initially uncertain about his participation following the Dallas Mavericks’ Finals loss. Twelve days before that, he had stated, “Yeah, I think we’ll see how my knee is. But if it’s good, I’m going to go play, yeah.”
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison expressed confidence that Doncic would participate in the tournament, stating, “In terms of playing for the national team, I think that’s probably one of his biggest joys, so I think, as long as he can walk, he’s probably going to go out there and play for them. That would be my expectation.”
Given his passion for playing, it’s likely that Doncic will compete in Piraeus unless medically advised otherwise. Despite injuries during the playoffs, where he played an average of 40.1 minutes per game, including a sprained knee, ankle injury, and a thoracic contusion, Harrison praised Doncic’s resilience, stating, “He was hurting, but he’s a warrior…He loves to play.”
The Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus is one of four scheduled from July 2-7, which will determine the final spots for the Paris Olympics. Slovenia will contend with Croatia, Greece, New Zealand, Egypt, and the Dominican Republic for a single qualifying spot.
Additionally, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is training with Greece’s national team and will participate in the tournament.
