Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur Makes Surprising Comparison to Lakers’ Luka Doncic

The Cardinals head coach invoked the Lakers superstar while explaining what makes one of Arizona’s top offensive weapons so difficult to stop.

Feb 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles upcourt against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Lakers have gone all in on building around superstar Luka Doncic with the post-LeBron James era officially underway for the storied NBA franchise.

Longtime general manager Rob Pelinka and his revamped front office have been hard at work trying to put the right pieces around Doncic and Austin Reaves ahead of the 2026-27 season, and even though some of those moves have been heavily criticized, there’s a chance this new-look Lakers squad could surprise a lot of people.

Obviously, the Lakers are going to lean heavily on their new face of the franchise, and Doncic seems up to the task.

Cardinals' Mike LaFleur Compares Trey McBride to Lakers’ Luka Doncic

Interestingly enough, after Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, the Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur compared his superstar tight end, Trey McBride, to Luka Doncic because he forces everyone to play at his pace and dominates the game, via The Pat McAfee Show.

“There’s no weakness to this guy,” LaFleur said of McBride. “He’s mentally tough. He’s physically tough. He’s savvy. … He’s right up there, if not the best I’ve ever been around. … He’s got this savviness to him. I try to equate it to like Luka [Doncic], where he plays at his pace. … He’s a great dude, a great leader and works his butt off. I think he’s only improving.”

McBride is currently in the conversation for being the best tight end in the NFL today, along with Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders) and George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers).

It’s similar to Doncic battling it out with Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) for the distinction of being the best player in the NBA.

Luka Doncic Will Again Be in the NBA MVP Conversation

After finishing fourth in the NBA MVP voting last season, with Gilgeous-Alexander winning the regular-season award for the second straight year, Doncic will have no shortage of motivation to prove the Lakers right for building the franchise around him for the foreseeable future.

No one is dubbing the new-look Lakers as a championship contender in the Western Conference, which should spark a fire under Doncic to prove all the doubters wrong while putting himself in the MVP race.

Despite always being in the MVP conversation, Doncic has yet to win the Michael Jordan Trophy, so it’s highly likely he’s itching to earn that honor for the first time in his NBA career.

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