Minutes after the Mavericks lost the NBA Finals, Luka Doncic understandably didn’t want to talk about Olympic qualifiers.
“I don’t want to talk about what’s next, man. I have some decisions to make,” Doncic said. “I’m just trying to get a little bit healthier.”
With a few days to let emotions calm down, his general manager in Dallas, Nico Harrison, expects him to play, he told reporters on Friday.
Mavs GM Nico Harrison says he expects that Luka Doncic will play for Slovenia, which has an Olympic qualifying tourney starting July 2: “That’s one of his biggest joys. As long as he can walk, I think he will play for them.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 21, 2024
Doncic played through a left ankle sprain and sore knees during the final couple of rounds of the playoffs, then suffered a chest bruise during the Finals. That bruise should be fine, but how his ankle and knee feel will determine if Doncic plays.
Expect him out there starting July 2 when Slovenia competes in the Greek Olympic qualifying tournament. One team from the group of Greece (likely with Giannis Antetokounmpo), Croatia, New Zealand, Dominican Republic, Egypt and Doncic’s Slovenia will advance to the Paris Olympics. With Doncic, Slovenia has a real chance to advance, they and Greece would be the favorites.
