Giannis Antetokounmpo's brother reveals Luka Doncic’s grit in Lakers-Bucks showdown after injury

Luka Doncic has had to deal with stereotypes associated with European players ever since he got to the NBA in 2018. The conception that European players are "soft" has been ever-present, and Doncic has had to face the allegations too.

But with time, the Slovenian superstar has managed to win over the doubters and a recent anecdote by Thanasis Antetokounmpo only adds to his case.

In a recent encounter with the Lakers in March, Giannis Antetokounmpo's brother had to match up against Luka Doncic and the cameras caught some chirping between them. On his podcast, "Thanalysis," Thanasis spoke about their banter and how the Lakers' latest superstar proved his grit during their interaction.

"I'm like, 'Take your time, ey yo, take your time.' And he's like 'No, no. I got to play today.' So, that's what it was. He would score and he would look at me and go 'I told you, I got to play today.' But, it was good to see, man.

"I loved it because I think it was his best game with the Lakers jersey. And him, just showing his greatness, no LeBron in the building. Just him leading the team," said Thanasis on Thursday, describing his encounter with Doncic.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo's story describes how Luka Doncic was pushing through, shortly after recovering from an injury, in the absence of his best teammate, to put up a fight for his team.

The Bucks may have won the game, but Antetokounmpo's main takeaway from the game was just how determined and gritty Luka was in the face of adversity.

Luka Doncic has played through a variety of injuries for the Lakers, especially in LeBron James' absence

With James out with a groin strain, Luka got to take the reins for the Lakers on his own and did an admirable job of the same, even though he himself was hamstrung by injuries. A recent timetable of injuries shows that Doncic has been suffering from ankle, calf, back and knee issues just in the month of March alone.

Luka Doncic in action during his 45-piece against the Bucks - Source: Getty

In 16 games for the Lakers, the Slovenian has averaged 26.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.0 assists despite not being at full fitness for most parts of his brief time as a Laker.

One can only imagine how effective he would be in purple and gold, once he has an off-season under his belt to familiarise himself with the team and work on his injuries.

Having already proven his grit, and playing with a chip on his shoulder, we might just be heading into the prime of a superstar at one of the biggest markets in the world of sports. With a couple of tweaks to their roster, the Lakers could just be on the fast track to success with Luka Doncic at the helm of it all.