Luka Doncic Finally Breaks Silence on Recovery, And Lakers Fans Won’t Like One Detail

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic opens up about his lengthy recovery process and the progress he's made to return to the floor during the NBA playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and the bench react against the Houston Rockets during the second half in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It’s been over a month since Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic went down with a Grade 2 hamstring injury, and there’s still no concrete timetable for him to return to the floor during the NBA playoffs.

On Wednesday, following the Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs, Doncic broke his silence about the progress he’s made since suffering the injury on April 2.

Luka Doncic Gives an Update on Status

Luka Doncic’s first press conference since he injured his hamstring on April 2. He said his timeline to return to the #Lakers was 8 weeks. He’s ramping up. But still a ways to go. pic.twitter.com/Qux41bcTO0

— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) May 6, 2026

“Feeling good,” Doncic told reporters, via Michael Duarte of The California Post. “Obviously, this is a different injury than I ever had. … I did the hamstring, obviously, way less. End of January, so recovery has been a little bit longer. But I'm feeling good, working every day, so I'm trying to come back. 

“Right now I'm running, but I haven't done any contact.”

It’s a good sign that Doncic has progressed to running, as his conditioning will be a big part of his recovery and getting up to speed once officially cleared to play.

However, Doncic did admit that he was initially told his recovery timeline would be eight weeks, which is a bit longer than many predicted. Four to six weeks was what many anticipated, but clearly, that’s not the case from the team doctor’s assessment. 

Luka’s Initial Timeline for Recovery: ‘8 Weeks’

Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) falls to the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the third quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

“The day I did the MRI on the hamstring, the doctor told me eight weeks at the beginning,” Doncic said. “So, I'm doing everything I can in the process. I think we're on a good way. But at the beginning, he told me eight weeks.”

With Doncic initially being told the recovery process would take two months, that may have been the reason the veteran guard chose to go to Spain to try to accelerate it.

The league’s leading scorer was asked about traveling to Spain for treatment and provided details about the process he underwent there.

“I went to Spain to do PRP,” Doncic said. “Everybody knows that it's one of the best countries to do that. And obviously, we talked with the Lakers' doctors, so everybody agreed for me to go there.

“Obviously, I know I interest lots of people from Spain. I used to work before. But why I was in Spain so long is because I needed four days in between every shot. So I did it four times. That's why I stay longer.”

May 5, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) yells to his team during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half during game one of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The real question now is whether all the work Doncic has done to get back sooner than his initial timeline would have allowed will pay off, or if he’s ultimately played his last game this season.

Only time will tell if Doncic can get back on the floor and help his team, as they face an uphill battle against the Thunder.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.