By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Despite dealing with a left hamstring strain and sitting out the last four Los Angeles Lakers games before the All-Star break, Luka Doncic is expected to play in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, as confirmed by insider Marc Stein on Friday.
While the Slovenian superstar’s status was initially uncertain, he is now expected to be medically cleared to play for Team World on Sunday. He is also on track to return to the Lakers’ lineup for the remainder of the 2025-26 Regular Season following the break.
According to Stein, Doncic remained on course to play a short stint in the All-Star Game after a strong workout on Thursday before the Lakers clashed with his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, at Crypto.com Arena.
During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Friday, Doncic went into a separate discussion about the possibility of matching the career longevity of his Lakers teammate, LeBron James, but quickly dismissed the idea.
“Definitely not 41. I’m not playing until 41, I’ll tell you that,” he stressed, indicating he intends to retire much earlier than the four-time NBA champion.
The current season is Doncic’s eighth in the NBA and his first full year with the Lakers. Over 42 appearances so far, he has averaged 32.8 points, 8.6 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks per contest.
Before being selected as the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Ljubljana native turned pro with Real Madrid in 2015. His decorated career includes being crowned a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion, earning the 2017-18 Season and 2018 Final Four MVP awards, and winning gold with Slovenia at EuroBasket 2017.