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“Man, I’ve been in the league for a while, and that [trip to Sloevnia] was my first time doing something like that. Going to somebody’s country, and bringing us out there, and spending that much time together. I never did that before,” Looney said of Dončić during a recent interview with ESPN Radio’s “Mason & Ireland” podcast. “That just shows his character, shows that he really wants to win. He wants the people to know his background and why he is how he is. And I think he did a good job of that,” Looney added. “He’s a great player and a great leader. He likes to show what he can do on the court, and then we got to see his personality off the court. So it was great. We’re going to follow him and run through a wall for him,” Looney concluded.
Tomorrow, it is a Slovenia deprived of its finest jewel, Luka Dončić, a six-time NBA All-Star, that will show up at Bercy. A weakened team, certainly, but one to be respected according to Victor Wembanyama. "You take the games as they are, the rosters as they are, and the competitive reality means that deep down, I'm a bit gutted not to be playing against Luka (Dončić). But the opportunity will come round again," said Wembanyama with a smile.
Vanderbilt said he would like to come back and hinted about possibly returning with a Slovenian passport. "I would love to [come back]. Not gonna lie, I didn't know much about it before I came here, but it's definitely a spot I will revisit," he said. "I'm looking to get my Slovenian passport, so we'll see. Might be part Slovenian."
When asked whether Luka had spoken to his national team teammates, or whether he had perhaps found time before or even during the 'crazy' surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers' visit to Slovenia to give the national team some motivational words, Omić revealed that this had not happened. "No, he did not speak. He has his obligations. We leave him alone, he leaves us alone. Let him sort out what he needs to do. I hope this all ends as soon as possible, so that he can come help the national team. But we need everyone, it's not just about him. I think Žiga Samar will come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but I don't know about Kunec, he seems to be injured. Every player is welcome. But it's true that I, who am the oldest, expect even more from everyone."
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Luka Doncic is chartering a private plane for 14 people and has organized a number of activities designed to bring the new-look Lakers closer together ahead of the 2026-27 season. The trip will include gift bags filled with Slovenian items, dinner at one of Luka's favorite restaurants, fishing at Lake Bled, golf and other team-bonding activities. "It starts off with Luka chartering a plane for 14 people," Shelburne said on ESPN Los Angeles, adding that additional gifts are expected to be waiting for the players once they arrive at the hotel.
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Luka Doncic and Jaxson Hayes will not be part of Slovenia's roster for the upcoming late-August window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. The Slovenian Basketball Federation announced a 19-man preliminary squad for the next set of games, with both players absent from the list. Slovenia will first play preparation games against Latvia and Montenegro before returning to World Cup qualifying action with a road matchup against France in Paris and a home game against Hungary in Ljubljana.
Austin Reaves is looking forward to attending the Los Angeles Lakers' upcoming minicamp in Slovenia, where he is specifically aiming to beat the most out of Luka Doncic in golf. But more than that, he is certainly steadfast in meeting the team's new faces and building important camaraderie to start early for the 2026-27 NBA season. "I feel great, I'm going to kick his a** in golf," Reaves jokingly said in a media availability for his ongoing 2026 Rigorer Basketball Camp, via 852 Sports Entertainment. "That'll be a lot of fun, but it'll just be good to get around everybody. We've got a fairly new team, a lot of new guys. So it'll just be good to be around them, learn to get to know one another off the court. Just build that chemistry there."
It was previously known that Luka Doncic would not be part of the Slovenian national team in early July, nor would he help Slovenia in the second part of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers in Qatar at the end of August. " Nothing has changed, as I said, I will not play this summer, " he added. Due to a hamstring injury, the Lakers' first star missed the entire North American league playoffs.
Luka Doncic revealed that family remains his primary focus this summer, while also expressing confidence in Slovenia’s chances despite his absence and confirming that his injury issues are now behind him. “We already know that I won’t play for the national team. The main reason is my daughters. Everything else is pretty much the same. I’m doing individual workouts, training in the gym, and also playing other sports. This year golf has become part of the routine, so it’s a little different. Golf is amazing. We played a lot with the team before. Now we can’t because we’re apart. It’s really relaxing—you’re out in nature, away from your phone, at peace. It’s one of the best things,” Dončić told per Siol.
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Marc Stein: Sources close to Lakers star Luka Dončić have reiterated to @TheSteinLine that nothing has changed from his recent statement below: He is not playing for his national team this summer in FIBA World Cup qualifying to spend as much of his offseason as possible with his daughters.
Luka will first complete his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury before gradually rebuilding his conditioning ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Unlike in previous years, when he played a total of 39 official games for Slovenia over the past five summers, he will not represent the national team this offseason. In the 2025-26 NBA season – his eighth in the league – Doncic appeared in 64 games, the third-lowest total since he entered the NBA in 2018. It also marked the first time he finished a season injured.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Hayes has now completed that process, and the connection to Doncic could have meaningful implications for his future in Los Angeles. “Jaxson Hayes completed the paperwork to become a Slovenian,” Windhorst said. “He can join the Slovenian national team for Luka, which I’d like to say is one of the smartest things Jaxson Hayes has ever done because I think he’s just secretly signed a contract extension.”