The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in an intriguing yet delicate situation with Luka Doncic’s arrival and LeBron James’ looming retirement or departure. Balancing two timelines never pans out well, but general manager Rob Pelinka needs to find a way to walk that tightrope.
However, there is no denying how iconic a duo James and Doncic have become, as they are two gifted passers. As of recent, the 41-year-old is a pick-and-roll partner with the Slovenian phenom, and those results are exciting.
Along with the Lakers brand, they are looking to cash in on a championship sooner rather than later. Fans would love to see it as well, so they are investing in this tandem by purchasing jerseys.
Resulting in Doncic and James placing top five in jersey sales as it is now over the halfway point of the season:
Luka and LeBron are both in the top five for jersey sales in the first half of the 2025-26 season: pic.twitter.com/pgIiGEwyqv
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) January 20, 2026
Going back to his days with the Dallas Mavericks, their fanbase loved Doncic and supported him in any way they could. After taking Dallas to an NBA Finals appearance, anticipation mounted for the Mavericks to win a second championship.
Los Angeles is trying to reciprocate that same love and passion by welcoming him to a new home. Granted, it has not been a calendar year since the blockbuster trade, but the 26-year-old looks more comfortable playing in the City of Angels.
Doncic leads the league in scoring with 33.4 points a contest, 7.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists. Meanwhile, his co-star in James is beginning to round back into form after missing the first 14 games of the year.
In his last 10 games, the four-time champion is averaging 24.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists on 50.3% from the field and 38.5% from 3-point range. Certainly, the notoriety of this duo is paying off and hopefully, a lengthy playoff run awaits them.
LeBron James: ‘Disrespectful’ to comment on Lakers’ roster ahead of trade deadline
Now over 40 games into the season, there is a substantial sample size as to what this Lakers’ ceiling truly is. With the trade deadline on Feb. 5, there is anticipation that L.A. will make moves to solidify the roster and have a chance to compete for a championship.
This time of year is an antsy one for players, and LeBron James thought it would be ‘disrespectful’ for his teammates to comment on what trades need to be made ahead of the deadline.
