(Reuters) — Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic broke his silence Wednesday about the hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined since early April.
He told reporters at the team hotel in Oklahoma City he doesn’t know when he can rejoin the Lakers, who lost 108-90 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Thunder on Tuesday night.
“It’s very frustrating,” Doncic said. “I don’t think people understand how frustrating it is. All I want to do is play basketball, especially this time. It’s the best time to play basketball.
“It’s very frustrating seeing what my team is doing. I’m very proud of them. It’s been very tough to just to sit and watch them play.”
Doncic, 27, sustained the Grade 2 strain in his left hamstring five weeks ago on April 2 in Oklahoma City. He missed the last five games of the regular season and sat out the six-game first-round playoff series win against the Houston Rockets.
“The day I did the MRI on the hamstring, the doctor told me eight weeks (recovery) at the beginning,” Doncic said. “I’m doing everything I can in the process, and I think we’re on a good way. But at the beginning, he told me eight weeks.”
Doncic averaged a league-high 33.5 points with 8.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 64 games (all starts) in the regular season.
The six-time All-Star guard was noncommittal when asked about his potential return later in this series, with Game 3 set for Saturday in Los Angeles.
“I’m just doing everything I can,” said Doncic, who has started running but has not participated in any contact drills. “Every day, I’m doing stuff I’m supposed to do. Obviously recovery, now I’m working…. Just going day by day, and I feel better every day.”
Doncic said he has been proceeding with caution during his recovery, which included traveling to Spain to receive platelet-rich plasma therapy.
“It’s a tough one for me because I came back from injuries before too soon, and it wasn’t the best result,” Doncic said. “You have to be very careful, and I’m doing everything to come back. All the recovery, the (hyperbaric) chamber, cold tub, everything I can to come back, but it’s obviously very different than other injuries I had.”
