LeBron James had an explicit message for Luka Doncic before LA Lakers debut

James addressed Doncic directly leading up to his first action in purple and gold.

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

The Luka Doncic era with the Los Angeles Lakers is officially underway after the NBA star was traded by the Dallas Mavericks earlier this month. Doncic made his debut in purple and gold on Monday night as the Lakers rolled over the Utah Jazz, 132-113. The victory marked the sixth straight game where LA has scored 120+ points.

It was obviously a big moment for Doncic as he stepped onto the court with LeBron James and his new teammates for the first time. This was also his first action since Christmas Day as Doncic had been recovering from a nagging calf injury before the Mavericks decided to deal him for Anthony Davis and Max Christie.

Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is defended by Utah Jazz guard Johnny Juzang (33) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Considering all of the revolving doors, it would make sense for Doncic to hesitate or second-guess himself after 47 days away from the court. Prior to tip-off, James made it a point to address the 25-year-old directly in the pregame huddle.

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Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson (00) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

James told Doncic to play his game and not to worry about fitting in with the Lakers in what ended up being an explicit message from the four-time NBA Champion.

"Luka, be your f---ing self. Don't fit in, fit the f--- out," James said.

"Luka, be your f---ing self. Don't fit in, fit the f--- out."

-LeBron to Luka 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/qj8Tbk8M8R

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 11, 2025

The words from the future Hall of Famer were clearly beneficial to Doncic, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in just 24 minutes of action. He struggled to score efficiently, connecting on 5/14 field goals and only hitting one of his seven attempts from deep but that's not overly worrisome considering the long layoff. After all, Doncic just began to participate in 5-on-5 action about a week ago.

Doncic will have another opportunity to continue finding his stride with the Lakers when the team matches up with the Jazz once again on Wednesday night.

The Moving Parts Of The Luka Doncic Trade

Mavericks: Anthony Davis, Max Christie, 2029 Lakers first-round pick

Lakers: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris

Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino, 2025 Clippers second-round pick, 2025 Mavericks second-round pick

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READ MORE: Mavericks star Kyrie Irving named 2025 NBA All-Star replacement for Anthony Davis

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