Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic led all players in fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game, but his participation in the contest itself was up in the air. Doncic missed the Lakers’ last four games before the All-Star break due to a hamstring injury and while he had been progressing, it was unclear whether he would suit up.
It was ultimately revealed that Luka would indeed play in the All-Star Game, his first as a member of the Lakers, but would only take the court for limited minutes. That was the case as Doncic played just five minutes in the World Team’s first game against the USA Stars squad, finishing with two points and two assists.
Far more important than his performance was the health of that hamstring and in speaking after the game, Luka said that he felt good on the court while adding that he wanted to at least make an appearance for the fans who voted for him.
“It was good,” Doncic said. “Obviously, I wanted to go out there. The fans voted me to be in this game so I wanted to be there and be part of it a little bit. But (my hamstring) felt good.”
With the game being in Los Angeles, there were certain to be a large contingent of Lakers and Doncic fans in the building, even if it technically was in the home arena of the L.A. Clippers. But Luka was able to get out there for a little bit and give the fans a brief show.
All this would seem to point towards Doncic being back in uniform for the Lakers when they return to the court to face the Clippers on Friday night, though he kept his answer vague on the topic.
“We’ll see,” the Lakers star responded when asked if he plans on playing.
With a few more days off now though, it is fair to expect him to suit up after taking the court for this All-Star Game, not to mention knowing just how competitive Luka is.
Thankfully for Doncic and the Lakers, this hamstring issue was a minor one and now the team looks likely to begin this final stretch of the regular season with their three stars all healthy.
Luka Doncic believes Lakers have a team that can win a championship
The question going forward for Luka Doncic and the Lakers now is whether they can compete with the NBA’s elite and contend for a championship and the Slovenian star believes this team is capable of that.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
