OKLAHOMA CITY — Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic revealed Wednesday that he traveled to Spain for specialized platelet-rich plasma treatments to accelerate his recovery from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since April 2.
The treatment involved multiple sessions with mandatory rest periods between each procedure, requiring Doncic to remain in Spain for an extended period.
“I went to Spain to do PRP,” Doncic explained to media members. “Everybody knows that its one of the best countries to do that. Obviously, you know, we talked with the Lakers doctors, so everybody agreed for me to go there.”
The recovery process demanded patience, as each treatment session required a four-day waiting period before the next injection could be administered.
“I know and trust lots of people in Spain that I used to work with before,” he explained. “I needed four days in between every shot. I did it four times, so that’s why I stayed longer.”
Currently, Doncic has progressed to running exercises but has not yet been cleared for any contact activities. His timeline for return remains at eight weeks from the initial injury date.
The Mavericks are facing playoff challenges without their star player, as evidenced by their 108-90 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday.
Watching his teammates compete without him has taken an emotional toll on the All-Star guard.
“It’s very frustrating. I don’t think people understand how frustrating it is,” Doncic expressed. “All I want to do is play basketball, especially this time. It’s the best time to play basketball. It’s very frustrating to see what my team is doing, I’m very proud of them, but it’s been very tough to watch.”
Despite his eagerness to return, the six-time NBA All-Star acknowledges the importance of proper healing, having learned from previous experiences with premature returns from injury.
“It’s a tough one for me. I’ve come back from injuries too soon before, and it wasn’t the best result,” he admitted. “This is the first time I have a hamstring injury. It’s not the same like other injuries. You have to be very careful. I’m doing everything to come back.”
The Thunder will host the Lakers for Game 2 of their playoff series Thursday evening.
