The Los Angeles Lakers’ acquisition of superstar guard Luka Doncic was one of the most shocking transactions in the history of sports. The move completely changed the trajectory of the Lakers as they brought in the player that will be the face of this franchise for years to come. It also forced the Lakers to make some major adjustments in how they operate on the court, including some big sacrifices from LeBron James.
LeBron has always been the primary creator on every team he has been on, but with Luka on the roster he was forced to adjust into more of an off-ball roll than he has ever had to play. But he did make those adjustments and the Lakers were a better team for it.
To do that in the middle of the season is no easy task and Steve Nash praised James for doing so on the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast:
“One thing I’d also like to say that I really admire about LeBron is the way he adapted this season to playing with Luka. That takes a lot of maturity. It takes a lot of sacrifice. He approached this as a gift and an opportunity to make a team as good as it could possibly be. Now it was slammed together quick, they lost early in the playoffs, but I think we saw the seeds of a team that was this close to going deep in the playoffs, making a run for a title. As that roster builds, the possibility is there. You can’t do that unless you’re willing to sacrifice and grow and play slightly different. Play in a way that compliments your teammates. So my advice would be those two things. Continue to find that sacrifice, it’s not like his numbers dipped, he just did it in different ways. But that’s hard for players who have played 15, 18, 20, 22? 22 years in the league.”
It’s tough for any player to have to adjust their style of play but, as Nash noted, it’s especially tough for someone like LeBron who has been playing that way, at an extremely high level, for more than 20 years. He does deserve praise for making that change which helped the Lakers improve as a unit.
Now with more time under their belts together, and a full training camp to be able to continue to build that chemistry, the hope is that James and Doncic can continue to lift the Lakers into championship contention.
Luka Doncic loves playing with LeBron James on the Lakers
Luka Doncic and LeBron James form one of the best duos in the NBA today as the two have shown the ability to play off each other very well. And even though they haven’t been teammates for long, Doncic thoroughly enjoys teaming with James on the Lakers.
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