Key Takeaways
- Luka Dončić said it “feels great” to step into a leading role alongside Austin Reaves as the Lakers begin life without LeBron James.
- Dončić called playing with James “amazing” and said the four-time MVP helped him improve during their only full season together.
- The Lakers signaled their post-LeBron future when they acquired Dončić in a 2025 blockbuster centered on Anthony Davis and a 2029 first-round pick.
The Luka Dončić era with the Los Angeles Lakers officially began on Monday.
Dončić was asked during media day about the opportunity to lead the Lakers, alongside Austin Reaves, with LeBron no longer around.
“It feels great,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a new challenge. I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me. But I feel great. I feel excited.”
Dončić was solely speaking about taking on a leadership role with the Lakers. His comments, other interviews made clear, had nothing to do with his feelings about the departure of LeBron.
In a separate interview with Brian Windhorst of NBA on ESPN, Luka said playing with James was “amazing” and credited the four-time NBA MVP with helping him improve as a player.
“It was kind of sad. Playing with LeBron was amazing. There’s a lot of things I learned from him, and we all know who LeBron James is. We spent time together. It was amazing.”
When Dončić was acquired in a blockbuster trade headlined by Anthony Davis and a 2029 first-round pick in 2025, the Lakers made it clear that the franchise was fully prepared for life after LeBron.
James waited until the final day to exercise his $52.6 million player option with the Lakers for last season. James’ agent Rich Paul told ESPN that his client was keeping tabs on how the Lakers were building a contending team, but the front office seemed unwilling to make a rash move to appease James.
James and Dončić played only one full season together: the 2025-26 campaign.
