Luka Doncic's recent injury raised concerns about his decision to compete at the 2025 EuroBasket, but Stephen A. Smith was in favor of this, claiming it was positive if it helped him prepare for the season.

During Saturday's game against Latvia, Dončić went down when a teammate careened into his legs. Dončić signaled to be substituted out of the game and limped to the locker room. After the game, it was confirmed that the injury was minor, labeled as a knee contusion.