Luka Doncic is officially a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The team — led by general manager Rob Pelinka — introduced him to the mix on Tuesday with a press conference to discuss one of the most monumental trades in franchise and league history.
Less than 72 hours ago, the thought of Doncic teaming up with LeBron James on the Lakers would be nothing more than a pipe dream. But Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and Pelinka worked together in secret on a deal that could change the future of the Lakers franchise in a significant way.
Luka is set to be the face of the franchise for years to come. But for today, he shares the roster with LeBron, an incredible pairing of intelligent and dominant superstars. Doncic and James have long been fans of one another, with the former saying his favorite player to watch growing up was the latter. James also said his favorite young player in the league is Doncic.
It’s almost impossible to imagine the efficiency on pick-and-rolls between the two, but it won’t be long before fans won’t need to imagine it.
Luka Doncic excited to play with LeBron James
At his introductory press conference, Luka Doncic discussed what it means to him to be able to play with LeBron James for the Lakers.
“It’s just like a dream come true” Doncic said. “I always looked up to him. There’s so many things I can learn from him. I’m just excited to learn everything and now I get to play with him. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Luka was asked if he’s spoken to LeBron much since the trade, and he responded by saying that the Lakers star called him the night of from New York to welcome him to L.A.
“He called me right away. He was in New York, so he called me right away,” Doncic said. “We didn’t talk much because he said ‘I understand what you’re feeling.’ But that was really nice of him just to call me right away and welcome me to L.A.”
Both players certainly seem intrigued by the prospect of playing with one another, and for good reason. This duo could propel the Lakers to great heights with their mix of IQ, efficiency and vision. Doncic hasn’t quite thought about what it will look like on the court yet, but his gears are definitely starting to turn.
“Yeah, I think we both make our teammates better. I think our IQ is very high. So I think that’s going to help everybody But obviously I really haven’t thought about basketball much these days. But, I’m just excited to work with him. I work every day here. Every day that goes by is going to be better.”
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