The Los Angeles Lakers are notorious for taking great care of their star players and it’s no different with their newest superstar.
On August 17th when Slovenia matched up against Latvia in an exhibition match, Luka Doncic avoided a serious leg injury which ended up being a right knee contusion that he’s been able to play through. Doncic has garnered full support from the Lakers organization despite concerns of injury risk.
Rob Pelinka reaffirmed the Lakers’ support of Luka in an interview with the press from Basketnews.com:
“It’s just something we believe in for the Lakers organization. Their [Slovenian National Team] leadership and their executives obviously have been great. It’s been a collaborative partnership with them. We had one of our Los Angeles Lakers coaches, coach Greg St. Jean, added to the staff just for support. So, we’ll continue to support Luka throughout his career so he can do great things for the Lakers and the Slovenian National Team.”
Notable members of the Lakers brass such as Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, Kurt Rambis and Linda Rambis had flown out to Poland to support Luka in Slovenia’s first game of the tournament.
Luka Appreciates the Love
Since he’s arrived in L.A., Luka has repeatedly expressed his gratitude for the fans and organization welcoming him in with open arms. When addressing the media, Luka talked about the Lakers front office traveling to see him and Slovenia play:
“Means a lot, it’s a long flight, like 11-12 hours, means a lot for them to be here to support me. We had a great lunch today; it was great to see them.” – Luka Doncic, via Eurohoops.
Gestures like these from a front office go a long way when you’re building trust with your star player. It establishes a standard that does not go unnoticed by other stars and agents around the NBA.
Slovenia vs Poland
Luka, to no surprise, put on a spectacular show but it unfortunately wouldn’t be enough as Slovenia dropped the game to Poland, 105-95. Doncic put up 34 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks on 50% from the field and 17-of-18 from the free throw line. Doncic’s defense as of late has been really solid. The stat sheet and the eye test back it up.
Slovenia now looks forward to their next few matchups in the tournament on August 30th and 31st against France and Belgium.
The post Lakers Front Office Showcases Support for Luka Doncic as EuroBasket Gets Underway appeared first on Los Angeles Sports Nation.