Luka Doncic addressed reporters Sunday night after Team World was eliminated from the 2026 NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome, offering candid insight into his health, the new format and the international fan support he continues to receive.
The 75th edition of the All-Star Game featured a USA vs. World mini-tournament, with Team USA Stars ultimately defeating Team USA Stripes 47-21 in the championship. Team World was eliminated after losing 48-45 to USA Stripes in Game 3.
When asked about the best-selling jersey in the Philippines, Doncic pointed to his previous visit there.
“Oh yeah. I mean, it’s amazing. I happened to be in the Philippines three years ago, the amount of love that was there was incredible to see honestly,” he said.
The Slovenian guard played limited minutes while dealing with a hamstring problem and was asked how that felt.
“It was good. Obviously I wanted to go there. The fans voted for me to be in this game, so I wanted to be there. A little bit. But it felt good,” Doncic said.
In Game 1 against USA Stars, he logged five minutes and finished with two points and two assists. In the semi-final against USA Stripes, he did not play because Team World leaned on Victor Wembanyama, who scored a total of 33 points in two games.
The All-Star appearance was his first in Los Angeles since his trade, and he described the week as demanding but positive.
“It was great. A lot of love from the city and it was obviously very busy, but I was happy to do all these things. Probably just to help. We’ve had to deal with a lot of injuries, so I would say help,” he said.
As for the new tournament format, Doncic acknowledged a different level of intensity.
“Yeah, I think it was good. As you can see, it was a little bit better. I think obviously the game got another game this year, but we didn’t make it and we had some injuries in our team again, so we’ll hopefully be better next year,” he said.
When asked if he expects to be ready on Friday, he kept it short.
“We’ll see,” Doncic said.
With Los Angeles set to host several global events in the coming years, including the Olympic Games, he reflected on the city’s appeal.
“First of all, it’s a great city. Everyone wants to come here. The weather is great, you have the beach. But there are a lot of big events happening here. So I will definitely attend some of them,” he said.
Looking ahead to his team’s future, Doncic emphasized the health and continuity of the lineup.
“It has great potential. I think the three of us together on the floor, like I said, should be healthy. It’s great potential for us,” he said.
He also spoke about Victor Wembanyama’s competitiveness at the event.
“Yeah, I mean he was definitely looking forward to it. I think everyone was looking forward to it and yeah, meeting him with that silver and I think everyone was a little bit better this year,” Doncic said.
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