Los Angeles Lakers executives Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss made the trip to Poland to support their star guard, Luka Doncic, in his international play for Slovenia in EuroBasket. Slovenia begins group play in the quadrennial European championship on Thursday, and the Lakers’ general manager and owner stopped by Wednesday’s practice ahead of Dončić’s tournament opener.
The visit is an apparent show of solidarity with Dončić, who projects as the future of the Lakers’ franchise with LeBron James likely entering the final stages of his tenure in Los Angeles. When James retires, or if he elects to finish his illustrious career elsewhere, he will hand the keys over to another one of the sport’s biggest superstars.
The Lakers’ long-term commitment to Dončić became all the clearer this month when they signed him to a contract extension, keeping him in town through at least 2027 and potentially into 2028 if he picks up his player option. It is a three-year, $165 million deal that came just six months into his stint with the Lakers.
Pelinka’s and Buss’ attendance at EuroBasket also clearly indicates the Lakers’ support of Dončić participating in the tournament, which is notable given the injury scare he sustained in exhibition play. The 26-year-old limped off the court in an Aug. 16 game against Great Britain with what was later diagnosed as a knee contusion. A teammate fell into his legs and knocked him to the ground in a collision that fortunately looked worse than it was.
Dončić did not have the same support from his previous front office. Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison shockingly shipped him to the Lakers last season in one of the most puzzling trades in NBA history and cited concerns over Dončić’s health and conditioning when pressed about the decision, which was wildly unpopular among Mavs fans.
The trade worked out quite well for the Lakers, who proceeded to win the Pacific Division and lock up the No. 3 seed in the playoffs following their stunning acquisition. Dončić was as effective with his new team as he was in Dallas, as he averaged nearly identical marks in points (28.1 in Dallas / 28.2 in L.A.), rebounds (8.3 / 8.1) and assists (7.8 / 7.5) as he did with the Mavericks in the first half of the season. The five-time All-Star was terrific in the playoffs, too, despite the Lakers’ first-round exit.
Dončić is one of the numerous NBA stars set to participate in EuroBasket. Nikola Jokić represents Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo is back in his Greece uniform and Kristaps Porziņġis headlines the Latvia roster, to name just a few of the other pros who will compete for international glory.
