Luka Doncic‘s prolonged absence due to a hamstring injury has been one of the major talking points for the Los Angeles Lakers lately. While the Purple and Gold undoubtedly need their superstar back, Doncic admitted that there is still some uncertainty about his return timeline.
Luka Doncic famously traveled to Europe to receive specialized treatment for his injury. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was not convinced by this narrative, as he shared a bold take on the matter during a recent appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show.”
“I’m a big actions over words guy. When Luka got hurt, Luka went to Spain for ‘treatment,'” Windhorst insinuated. “I’ve heard of going to Germany; I’ve never heard of going to Spain.”
While acknowledging the birth of Doncic’s daughter recently, Windhorst hinted that the superstar may have taken the time to visit his child rather than undergo treatment, adding:
“When they sent him overseas, that was not an indication of a minor hamstring injury. That was like you’re not going to be doing anything for a few weeks anyway, go ahead and go to Europe because you came back 48 hours after your child was born in the middle of the season. Go to Europe.”
Barring Windhorst’s wild speculation, the analyst admitted that the hamstring injury was serious while concluding his statement. Still, his statement does come across as accusatory in every sense.
To that point, Luka Doncic recently shed more light on the specific details involving his treatment in Spain while speaking with the media. While discussing the PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment he received, though some medical experts have argued against the merits of it, he shared:
“I went to Spain to do PRP. Everybody knows that Spain. They’re just one of the best countries to do that. Obviously, we talked with the Lakers’ doctors, and everybody agreed for me to go there. I know and trust lots of people from Spain. Why I was in Spain so long is because I needed four days in between every shot. So I did it four times. So that’s why I stayed longer.”
According to reports, Luka Doncic left for Spain shortly after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring injury in early April. Considering the details of his treatment and the time in between shots, his extended stay in Europe seems justified.
For the most part, the belief was that Doncic’s recovery timeline would improve after the treatment. Unfortunately, given that the reported recovery period was set at eight weeks, the Lakers are likely to remain without their superstar for longer.
Luka Doncic’s absence was apparent in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, as the Purple and Gold suffered a blowout 108-90 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite witnessing some stellar performances by a 41-year-old LeBron James over the past month, seeing the league’s scoring leader out of action has been detrimental to the Lakers’ offensive output.
