Lakers Rumors: Mark Walter Is ‘Huge’ Luka Doncic Fan

4 Min Read
Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a introductory press conference for Shohei Ohtani at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This is truly a new era for the Los Angeles Lakers as superstar guard Luka Doncic has officially signed his three-year, $165 million contract extension that truly cements him as the face of this franchise. But, the sale of the team to Mark Walter also signifies the beginning of a new era of Lakers basketball.

These days, it is absolutely imperative that those top faces are all on the same page. From the owner, team president and general manager, down to the coach and superstar player, everyone should have that same vision. If an owner doesn’t care for the star player, it can cause issues within the franchise that can’t be fixed. Thankfully, that doesn’t seem to be the case for the Lakers.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Walter is a massive fan of Doncic and the two met face-to-face for the first time last week:

The week also included his first face-to-face meetings with new Lakers owner Mark Walter, who is said to be a huge Dončić fan.

It’s pretty hard not to be a fan of Luka, especially if you’ve watched him play basketball a few times as he is truly a magician on the court. Doncic is a generational talent and is now locked in with the Lakers for the foreseeable future, which is great news for Walter and the rest of the franchise.

Now, the key moving forward will be competing and bringing this franchise more championships. The Lakers are all about winning and Doncic is in that same boat, an ultimate competitor who will stop at nothing to come out on top. He got a taste of it when he led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024, but now he wants it all with the purple and gold. Both Doncic and Walter want the Lakers back on top and will do everything they can to get there.

Luka Doncic decided ‘pretty quick’ he wanted to sign extension with Lakers

While it always felt like Luka Doncic would be with the Lakers for a long time, nothing is ever for certain until that contract is officially signed. Some wondered whether Luka really wanted to be with the Lakers long-term, but the superstar revealed that he decided he wanted to be here very early on in his tenure.

“I was kind of thinking, obviously not in the moment when I got traded. But later on, when I started playing, I wanted to be here,” Doncic said. “Like I said, this is an amazing organization, we have trust in each other. So, I honestly decided pretty quick.”

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Corey Hansford is the Senior Editor for Lakers Nation, as well as a contributor for Dodger Blue, Rams News Wire, and Raiders News Wire. He is a passionate follower of the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chelsea FC, and the UFC. He can usually be seen arguing the merits of Kobe Bryant or cursing the decisions of Jerry Jones. He is also a former producer and associate producer for Sirius XM Sports Radio on both the Fantasy Sports Channel and College Sports Nation. Proud graduate of Long Beach Poly High School and The Real HU, Howard University, with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Follow him on all social media outlets at @TheeCoreyH.

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