A New Deal, A New Luka: Eurobasket Beware
Luka Heads to Europe With Vengeance
When the Wolves eliminated the Lakers, Minnesota didn’t just end Luka Dončić’s playoff run—they may have jump-started his summer plans. After the early postseason exit, reports confirmed that the 5-time All-NBA First Team guard will play for Slovenia in EuroBasket 2025.
For Luka, this feels more like therapy than competition—a way to reconnect with home, clear his mind, and return to the kind of basketball that built him.
Slovenia summer 2025
Preparation games:
8. August: Slovenia – Germany
10. August: Slovenia – Germany
15. August: Slovenia – Lithuania
16. August: Slovenia – Latvia
19. August: Slovenia – Great Britain
21. August: Slovenia – SerbiaEuroBasket 2025
Group Stage:
28. August:… pic.twitter.com/vimFsMebPP— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) July 27, 2025
A Chance to Win It All for Slovenia Again
Slovenia has only one major title, the 2017 EuroBasket championship. Goran Dragić won MVP, and a teenage Luka played a key role. Now, he returns as the face of his country, aiming to bring home gold again.
EuroBasket moves at a slower pace than the NBA. There are fewer possessions, and the games are eight minutes shorter. That should ease some injury concerns. At most, Luka would play seven games—five in the group stage and up to two more if Slovenia reaches the final round.
Training Smarter, Not Just Harder
This summer has already been a turning point for Luka’s conditioning. For years, it’s been the only knock on his game. But now, he has a full offseason ahead of him—and for the first time, he’s training alongside LeBron James, arguably the best athlete in the world at taking care of his body.
Luka Doncic on the cover of the latest issue of Men’s Health
“Luka knows that you’re thinking he looks lean as heck now. That’s because he’s thinking the exact same thing.”
Full story: https://t.co/Q9PZXiPT2c pic.twitter.com/zddhSb6UgT
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 28, 2025
And we’re already seeing the results. Photos have surfaced all summer of Luka’s new, slimmed-down shape—proof he’s put in the work. Luka was even featured on the cover of Men’s Health magazine.
The mix of meaningful minutes with Slovenia and focused training in Los Angeles has finally gotten Luka into peak shape. The tools are there. So is the blueprint. Now he’s got the consistency, too.
Lakers Focus on the Future With Luka
The Lakers continued to build around their new franchise star. After trading Anthony Davis and Max Christie to Dallas for Dončić, L.A. has doubled down on youth, toughness, and long-term upside. This offseason, they acquired Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia, forming one of the deepest rosters in the West.
And Luka’s already acting like the face of it all. According to Smart, it was Dončić who recruited him to Los Angeles—a quiet but telling move that signals Luka’s commitment to the purple and gold. That commitment ultimately led to Doncic signing a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers just a few days ago.
Once he hits the league’s service-time requirement, he’ll become eligible for the supermax with the Lakers. Until then, the basketball world is watching. Not just to see what the new-look Lakers do next, but how Luka embraces being the guy in L.A.
