Lakers' LeBron James makes football comparison about his connection with Luka Doncic

It's still a work in progress, but LeBron sees a natural fit with his new teammate.

Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) checks on guard Luka Doncic (77) after he was hit in the face against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Luka Doncic finally had a classic Luka performance for the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night against the Denver Nuggets, putting up 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals as the Lakers dominated Denver. It was his first big performance since being traded away from the Dallas Maverick, something to note since the two teams play in LA on Tuesday.

Part of playing for the Lakers is developing an on-court connection with LeBron James, who is still putting up absurd numbers at 40 years old. But LeBron sees the fit as pretty natural.

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving delivers massive praise for ‘budding star’ Mavericks teammate

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) after a basket during the first half against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

"I'm a natural-born wide receiver, and he's a natural-born quarterback, so it fits perfectly," James said after Saturday's win. "I've been running the floor and running lanes pretty much my whole life, and he's been throwing great passes pretty much his whole life. It's not hard to get a rhythm when it comes to that. It's all about eye contact and him being a great quarterback like he is and me being a recipient of it."

"I'm a natural-born wide receiver, and he's a natural-born quarterback, so it fits perfectly."

- LeBron on he and Luka's budding fullcourt connection 👀 pic.twitter.com/d7nrmXMqVx

— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2025

There's a chance Luka Doncic doesn't know what a quarterback is, but he is one of the best passers the game has ever seen, and now that he's in Los Angeles, those passes will receive extra attention. Doncic and LeBron have already connected on a few cross-court passes in four games together, and those will only become more frequent as they continue to get comfortable with each other.

Dallas and the Lakers will meet for the first time since the blockbuster trade on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, 9 p.m. CST on TNT.

READ MORE: Warriors blow out Mavericks behind 30 points from Steph Curry, 126-102

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