Jeanie Buss Says Kobe Bryant Would Be Excited to See Luka Doncic as a Laker

Luka Doncic has been everything the Los Angeles Lakers hoped for, and even the team's owner admits Kobe Bryant would be excited watching him now.

Luka Doncic | William Liang-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers have not lacked for all-time greats wearing purple and gold, from Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant to LeBron James. Now, Luka Doncic is next in line, and Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss believes even Kobe would approve.

Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, via HoopsHype, Buss opened up about what Doncic has meant to the franchise and brought up a personal memory that connected Kobe Bryant directly to Luka's arrival in Los Angeles.

"The last time I saw Kobe alive was about a month before he passed, he came to the Lakers-Dallas game with Gigi, because Luka was Gigi's favorite player. So I know that Kobe would be excited that he's now a Laker and will continue to lead this franchise into the foreseeable future."

Jeanie Buss says Kobe Bryant would be “excited” that Luka Doncic is now a Laker

“The last time I saw Kobe alive was about a month before he passed, he came to the Lakers-Dallas game with Gigi, because Luka was Gigi's favorite player. So I know that Kobe would be excited that… pic.twitter.com/lHUuPsYjpG

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) April 20, 2026

That connection between Kobe and Luka goes back to 2019, when the two shared a moment during a Mavericks-Lakers game that has since been turned into a mural in Los Angeles. Kobe watched that night, knowing his daughter idolized the young Slovenian, and now that same player carries the Lakers' future on his shoulders.

When Luka first met Buss after the trade, the first thing he told her was that he wished Kobe was there. That respect for the franchise's history runs both ways, and it is a big part of why this pairing feels like more than just a blockbuster trade.

Luka Doncic's Impact on the Los Angeles Lakers in His First Full Season

On the court, Doncic backed it all up. He led the NBA in scoring at 33.5 points per game, added 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists, and became the league's top-selling jersey almost immediately after arriving. For a franchise built on global icons, he fit right in.

The Lakers earned home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs despite Doncic and Austin Reaves both going down with injuries late in the regular season. LeBron James stepped back into the lead role, and the team went 2-2 without their two biggest scorers to close out the year.

Doncic is currently out indefinitely with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, and his status for the first-round series against the Houston Rockets remains unclear. Reaves is also sidelined with an oblique strain, leaving LeBron to carry the load for now.

Luka's hamstring injury has his playoff status uncertain, but every Lakers fan is hoping he suits up before this Rockets series is over. The sooner he's back, the better LA's chances look.

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