Luka Doncic is the perfect successor for LeBron James to hand the keys of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise to.
Like James, Doncic is a bigger guard who can make any pass but he’s more of a natural scorer that can score at every level of the floor. Although the star pair failed to get past the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, there is plenty of optimism that the duo can lead the Lakers much farther during the 2025-26 season.
In just their short amount of time together, Doncic and James showed natural chemistry on the floor as the former found the latter down court for several highlight-reel full-court passes. Head coach JJ Redick had the ability to stagger the two stars, ensuring Los Angeles had an elite playmaker at all times which gave opposing defenses fits.
Doncic recounted when he was first traded to the Lakers and how warmly he was received by James, via YES Network:
“It was an amazing experience. I always looked up to him the way he approaches the game, his professionalism. So when I came he accepted me with open arms and it was amazing to be his teammate.”
Doncic has been open about his love for James growing up and it’s easy to see as there are some parts of his game that resemble the King’s. In regards to James himself, it’s good to hear he was so welcoming of Doncic considering L.A. traded one of his best friends in Anthony Davis to accomplish the deal.
While Doncic has the utmost respect for James and loves playing with him, the team still has a long way to go in proving that they belong in the inner circle of contenders. The front office did well to solidify the roster with quality role players without spending any of their precious assets, so there’s always the possibility of a trade later down the line.
Despite how stacked the Western Conference looks on paper, a combination of Doncic, James and a quality supporting cast has the potential to go far and it’ll be exciting to see how all the pieces come together once the regular season begins.
Steve Nash praises LeBron James for adjusting game around Luka Doncic
LeBron James has long been considered the ultimate chess piece on the floor and Steve Nash recently gave him praise for being able to fit his game around Luka Doncic so seamlessly.
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