Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić will play for Slovenia against France in the next round of the EuroBasket. Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka expressed the team's full support for Dončić's participation in the national team's mission.

Luka Doncic, 26, was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in February of this year. He played 28 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2024/25 NBA regular season, averaging 28.2 points per game, 43.8% shooting, and 37.9% three-point shooting.

When talking about Luka Dončić playing for the Slovenian national team before the start of the new NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said, "There is absolutely no problem with this. This is the philosophy we adhere to as a Lakers team. The management has reached an agreement on this and the two sides have always maintained a good cooperative relationship."

"Lakers president Jeanie Buss and I had lunch with Luka Dončić and talked a lot about his mentality in leading this national team. It was clear how proud he was to play for his country and the close relationship he had with his teammates, and how much he wanted to do well."

Pelinka also said, "As everyone can see, he is in very good shape and he has worked really hard this summer. Being able to see this with our own eyes is worth flying across the ocean to accompany him."

"I believe that when you are born to play basketball, you should play for the national team, so we fully support it. Luka Dončić loves basketball, it is his favorite thing in the world, and we will never stand in his way."