The Los Angeles Lakers have essentially always been led by one of the NBA’s superstar players. From Jerry West, to Magic Johnson, to Kobe Bryant, to LeBron James, a superstar in purple and gold was a regular sight. But Luka Doncic represents one of the first Lakers superstars to hail from Europe. The Slovenian megastar joins Pau Gasol in that regard.
Gasol was the first true Lakers star from Europe. The Spaniard was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Lakers at the trade deadline in 2008, and he proceeded to lead — alongside Bryant — L.A. to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two championships. Gasol’s No. 16 jersey now hangs in the rafters next to Bryant’s.
In 2025, the Lakers made a familiar move, acquiring Doncic in a shocking deal at the deadline to massively improve L.A.’s championship odds. And Gasol, while sitting courtside at an L.A. Sparks game, spoke about his excitement to have Luka in town, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“It’s great. Obviously, we were all thrilled, shocked and excited last season when the trade happened. It’s great to have Luka in a Lakers uniform and having the anchor for the next many years to come. Super excited for the team, seeing how we can take advantage of the team right now and try to have another run at it.”
Gasol is a Laker for life, meaning their trade for Doncic was a win for him as well. Beyond just extending the Lakers championship window for years to come and bringing one of the best players in the league to Los Angeles, it gives L.A. another European superstar to carry on Gasol’s legacy.
The Lakers Hall of Famer is surely going to be a regularly-seen figure around the team in big moments over the next generation of L.A. basketball, and Luka will be at the forefront of that.
Luka Doncic hopes to learn defensive tricks from Marcus Smart
Luka Doncic got into the best shape of his career this offseason and looks prepared to put on a show during the 2025-26 season.
Doncic was criticized on his way out from the Dallas Mavericks for his perceived lack of seriousness regarding his diet and conditioning, so the Lakers star took it upon himself to transform his body. As an added bonus for Los Angeles, Doncic made sure to do his part in signing key free agents to give him a better chance of capturing his first NBA title.
For example, Doncic took an active role in recruiting Marcus Smart after he was bought out by the Washington Wizards. Smart noted that Doncic’s recruitment helped sway him to Los Angeles and meant a lot the veteran.
When asked about the defensive side specifically, Doncic took the opportunity to crack a joke about Smart helping him out.
“I think way better. Obviously we added Marcus, so he’s gonna teach me some things but obviously that’s gonna help a lot.”
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