Late last season, after a year that had been packed with stop-and-start performances and injuries to the star tri of Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic and LeBron James, everything quite suddenly clicked for the Lakers. Starting in late February, the Lakers beat the Warriors by 28 points, with all three stars on the floor, and from there, the team ripped off a remarkable run–they won 16 out of 18 games and thrust themselves into the mix of playoff contenders.
But then, on April 2, the Lakers went to Oklahoma City and were ripped apart by the defending champs. Down more than 30 points in the first half, Doncic injured his hamstring in a game that had already been decided. But Doncic insisted on playing in the second half.
Early in the second half, Doncic had done more damage to the hamstring and had to come out of the game. It was later revealed he had suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in the game.
Lakers Were Not the Same After Injury
It was a tough decision on Doncic’s part. Some blamed Lakers coach JJ Redick for letting Doncic play in that second half, but in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Doncic admitted it was his own fault.
“When it comes to my spirit of trying to win, I am just stubborn,” Doncic said. “I felt a little bit in the first half that I should have just stopped. I should have come out. I think we had a team that could compete for the championship. I definitely regret it.”
Luka Doncic: ‘I Took a Break’
Doncic typically spends his summer playing basketball, using it as his means of staying in shape. He also takes some time away from the game to rest his body and get in shape for what is sure to be a heavy load he will carry for the Lakers–even for a guy who averaged 33.5 points last year.
Said Doncic earlier this year: “I took a real break from basketball the first few weeks after the season ended to rehab my body. My recovery went great, and I’m 100% healthy again. … It’s a different way to do things, but it works for me. When I let myself miss the game a little bit and try some new things, it only makes me more excited and motivated to get back to playing.”
Lakers’ Luka Doncic Admits to ‘Stubborn’ Injury Regret