Luka Doncic heard the noise. He just couldn't answer it on the court.
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The Los Angeles Lakers star made it clear after the season that an NBA playoff return was never realistic following his hamstring injury.
"I wasn't close," he told reporters, via NBA.com.
That pretty much settles that.
Doncic went down April 2 with a grade 2 strain and missed the final stretch, including the entire postseason. The Lakers actually found a groove without him for a minute, even pulling off a first-round win. Then reality hit. A second-round sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder ended it.
Through it all, there was always that question. Could Luka come back?
Not really. He said he's been running and shooting, but hasn't progressed to contact work. That's a big step, and it sounds like he wasn't particularly close to taking it. Timeline-wise, it lines up with what you'd expect from that type of injury.
The frustrating part is how good things looked before it all went sideways.
Doncic was putting up big numbers again, and his chemistry with LeBron James and Austin Reaves started to click late in the season. There was a stretch where the Lakers looked like a real problem.
Then injuries hit. Hard. Doncic didn't shy away from that part. He said the team believed it could compete for a title. That belief didn't go away. The opportunity did.
Now the focus shifts. No international play this summer. He plans to spend time with his daughters and continue working his way back physically.
Long term, he sounded settled.
He likes it in L.A. He likes the organization. And based on everything he said, he's planning on being a big part of what comes next.
