BOSTON — If his knee holds up, Luka Doncic will likely take the court after the NBA Finals for Slovenia with an Olympic berth on the line.
“If I feel good, I'm going to play,” said Dallas Mavericks superstar Doncic, who is preparing for Game 1 of the Finals against the Celtics on Thursday night in Boston.
The 25-year-old Doncic has a chance to lead the Mavs to an upset and win the NBA title. His national team, Slovenia, must win an Olympic qualifying tournament that begins July 2, just over a week after Game 7 of the Finals.
The qualifiers will be held in Greece, with Slovenia's first opponents being Croatia and New Zealand. On the other side of the bracket are hosts Greece, who have already confirmed Giannis Antetokounmpo for the tournament.
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Karl-Anthony Towns' Dominican Republic may also be looking to await Slovenia with a chance to make the Olympics.
Doncic is the NBA's leading scorer, averaging 28.8 points in the playoffs. He has also dealt with lingering knee and ankle injuries. Last summer, Doncic played for Slovenia in the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, averaging 27 points a game and leading the team to the semifinals before a heartbreaking loss to Canada.
Doncic also played for Slovenia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, averaging 23.8 points per game. Slovenia must qualify for Paris because two European teams – World Cup winners Germany and runners-up Serbia – finished higher than Slovenia in the Philippines.
Of course, Doncic's first game will be his first Finals game, against the Celtics, featuring Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday for Team USA. USA Basketball begins its Olympic training camp in Las Vegas on July 5.
“It's amazing. It's my first time here and hopefully it's not my last,” Doncic said. “Never take it for granted. Enjoy the experience because you never know if you'll be able to come again.”
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(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
