In Lakers Debut, Luka Doncic Shows Flashes of Brilliance Backed by LeBron James

After his shocking trade from the Mavs, the five-time All-Star showed glimpses of what's to come in purple and gold, and got a boost from another franchise cornerstone.

Doncic (77) made his Lakers debut on Monday, scoring 14 points. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Amid a sea of gold No. 77 short sleeves, freebies handed out to fans as part of the Lakers rollout welcoming Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, one stood out. Hours before tip-off of L.A.’s game against Utah, LeBron James popped out of the tunnel wearing gray sweats, green-and-white Nikes … and a T-shirt with Doncic’s name on it. Later, during player introductions, it was Doncic, not James announced last.

Welcome to the Luka Era in Los Angeles, which officially kicked off with a 132–113 win over the cellar-dwelling Jazz. Doncic’s final stat line: 14 points in 24 minutes. He collected five rebounds and four assists. Not bad for a player out since Christmas. 

It was a “no agenda game,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. 

And a pretty good start. 

What a week it’s been in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, the Lakers introduced Doncic, the 25-year old, five-time All-NBA guard Dallas decided was no longer reliable enough to build around. Days later, the Lakers acquired Mark Williams, a 23-year-old rim-running center Los Angeles anticipated catching lobs from Doncic for years to come. On Saturday, the team rescinded the trade due to the results of Williams’s physical. 

The Lakers will have to address the center position eventually. For now, Doncic is enough. L.A. was a good team before the trade. They were above .500. James was an All-Star. Anthony Davis was headed toward an All-NBA season. But not even the most fervent Lakers truther believed they were a title contender. Doncic doesn’t guarantee a title this season. But he is the foundation for a contender in the future.  

Doncic admits—after 6.5 seasons in Dallas—he was nervous for his first game as a Laker. On Monday morning, James texted him about the introductions. Normally, the team’s top star gets introduced last. James offered it to Doncic. When the team huddled before the opening tip, James delivered a blunt message. “Luka, be your f---ing self,” James said. “Don't fit in, fit the f--- out.” Said Doncic, “After that speech was chills.” 

Predictably, Doncic’s play was uneven. He knocked down a step-back three over Walker Kessler in the first quarter and led James with a full-court pass for a layup minutes later. But he missed six of his seven threes and a few of his kick-out passes were off target. 

Luka’s first Lakers bucket 💧 pic.twitter.com/TCzV8W0lmu

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 11, 2025

“I didn’t play in a long time,” Doncic said. “It’s a new team, new everything.”

Still, Monday’s win offered plenty of evidence that the Lakers offense can be dynamic. Redick said he ran a “horns” action—a three-man game originating at the top of the key—with Doncic, James and Austin Reaves that led to an open three. “You feel comfortable with those three guys as creators,” said Redick. Jaxson Hayes scored 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting, with four points coming off James and Doncic lobs in the opening minutes. 

Said Reaves: “I just think it could be a thing of beauty the way we can manipulate the game on the offensive end and get what we want.”

Indeed. Doncic and James are two of the NBA’s most cerebral superstars. “They’re the best thinkers and problem solvers that we’ve ever seen,” said Jazz coach Will Hardy. They can get their own shots. But they excel at creating easy shots for others.

“Special man,” said Doncic. “He sees the game in a different way. … He's insane and just to have two guys like that on court, I think it’s going to help the whole team.”

Doncic’s arrival comes during a scorching stretch. The Lakers have won six straight, 10 of the last 11. They have been blitzing opponents offensively (fifth in efficiency during that period, per NBA.com) and locking them down on the other end (first in defensive efficiency). Monday’s win pushed L.A. into fourth place in the Western Conference, a surge that once seemed improbable. 

James has been particularly impressive. In early December, the Lakers absorbed a 41-point beating in Miami. James and Redick met the next morning. “Since then,” said Redick, “he’s been incredible.” His numbers in January: 24.6 points on 54.2% shooting, including 41.7% from three. In February he has been better: 31.3 points, while connecting on 56.8% of his shots and 50% of his threes. 

The Lakers gave away Doncic jersey T-shirts for his debut, which James also wore in his warmups. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Is it sustainable? Offensively, maybe. But it’s likely teams will attack the Reaves-Doncic backcourt and without a Davis-like presence backstopping them, there could be some rough nights. By vetoing the Williams deal the Lakers will play the second half of the season without a proven big man. They will, said Redick, “need to be able to hit bodies and sometimes sandwich lead offensive rebounders.”

But the Doncic deal wasn’t just about this season. It was about next season. And the one after that. And the one after that. The Lakers want to win another title with James in uniform. But it’s just as important that they are positioned to compete when he is gone. Doncic will cede the final introduction spot back to James when the Lakers return home next week. But it won’t be long before it’s his once again. 

---

 More NBA on Sports Illustrated

feed