The Los Angeles Lakers have a long history of some of the greatest basketball players of all-time being the face of the franchise. Now for the first time, that player is an international one as Luka Doncic is set to begin his first full season with the franchise.
The Lakers have gone to all lengths to make Doncic feel as comfortable as possible in his new home since acquiring him in February and that continued through the offseason. After Luka signed a max contract extension, a Lakers contingent that included Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka traveled to Poland to watch their star participate in FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
And the Lakers brass liked what they saw with Buss noting that Doncic looked more comfortable and less burdened while suiting up for Slovenia, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:
“He just looked comfortable,” Buss told The Athletic. “His focus was on basketball instead of something else being in the back of mind. He’s less burdened; he’s got clarity. …He knows where he wants to be. He knows where he is now.”
In the aftermath of his trade from the Dallas Mavericks, there was a lot going for Doncic mentally and emotionally and he carried that weight throughout the remainder of the season. But now those worries are gone and Luka can focus solely on basketball and leading this Lakers team.
The Lakers have never had a European player be the face of the franchise, though players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are massive international stars. But Buss believes the Doncic is ideal representation of Lakers basketball today:
“The idea that he is a Laker, it connects us. It’s a global thread,” Buss said. “I can’t think of a better representation of Laker basketball than Luka and what he brings to the game. To see it in a different context, a European tournament, it just feels very similar to Kobe or LeBron in the Olympics or Magic Johnson with the Dream Team.”
Doncic certainly embodies some of those same traits as his predecessors such as the showmanship of Magic Johnson and that pure killer instinct of Bryant. Those players also drew massive crowds whenever they appeared overseas and Luka is on that same path in his career.
Luka Doncic views this season as start of his Lakers tenure
After signing that big contract extension to remain with the Lakers for the foreseeable future, Luka Doncic views the start of the 2025-26 season as a true beginning to his tenure with the franchise.
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