Luka Doncic has confirmed that he was never close to returning from his hamstring injury before the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs. The NBA scoring champion suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2, forcing him to miss the team's final 15 games, including the entire postseason.

Despite a stunning first-round upset over the Houston Rockets without their star, the Lakers' season came to a close on Monday night with a 115-110 loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who completed a four-game sweep. Doncic, who averaged an incredible 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds across 64 games this season, acknowledged the frustration but made it clear his absence was unavoidable.

"I know some people wanted me back, but obviously I wasn't close to clearing," Doncic said. "If I could be out there, I would be, 100%. Everybody in that room knows this is really tough. This is the best time to play basketball."

While Doncic has resumed running and shooting, he has yet to progress to contact drills in practice. The Slovenian superstar will likely need another week or two before reaching that stage, pushing his total recovery time toward the two-month mark typically required for such an injury. This timeline means a full return to game action is still several weeks away.

Despite the disappointing end, Doncic reflected on the positives of his first full season with the Lakers. His partnership with LeBron James and Austin Reaves flourished during a remarkable 14-2 run through March, before both Doncic and Reaves suffered major injuries in the same game against Oklahoma City. "Obviously this season didn't end how we wanted, but I feel like the last push we made in the end of the regular season, we thought we could compete for a championship," Doncic said. "I think we had a great team. We had great chemistry. Playing with AR and LeBron, it's an incredible experience. Two great players, and it was really fun to share a court with them."

Off the court, Doncic also navigated a tumultuous year, separating from his fiancée—the mother of their two daughters, who still live in Europe. But on the hardwood, his performance was nothing short of elite, reminding Lakers fans of the potential that awaits when he's fully healthy.