INGLEWOOD, Calif. — LeBron James expressed that he found himself in a state of shock for two days following the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to trade Anthony Davis, who had been his close friend and teammate for the past five and a half years. As the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, James is now starting to embrace his new partnership with Luka Doncic, a player he greatly admires.
After scoring 26 points in a decisive victory against the Clippers, James shared his thoughts about Doncic. “Luka has been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now,” he stated. “I’ve always aimed to play the game the right way and encourage the next generation. Luka is one of them, and now as teammates, I believe this will be a smooth transition.”
James confessed that when he first heard about the trade while dining with his family in New York last Saturday night, he assumed it might be a prank or a hoax. “My emotions were all over the place,” he recounted. “Initially, I thought it was fake. But after speaking to AD on FaceTime for a long time, I still couldn’t grasp its reality until I saw Luka today and a clip of AD at the Dallas shootaround.”
As he competes in his record-tying 22nd season in the NBA at the age of 40, James has claimed to have seen and experienced almost everything that the league has to offer, but this trade has shown him something new. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he reflected. “When I heard the news, it was shocking, but I understand the business aspect of basketball.”
With the NBA trade deadline looming on Thursday, James expressed his commitment to the Lakers despite Davis’s exit. When questioned about the team’s potential shift to focus on Doncic and younger talents, he replied, “What’s wrong with that? If I were concerned, I would have waived my no-trade clause and left. I’m here right now, committed to the Lakers organization. I want to help Luka and Maxi with this transition.”
Doncic, who formally joined the Lakers, engaged in a lengthy conversation with James from the sidelines at the Intuit Dome. He, too, is adjusting to the reality of the significant trade, but he feels thrilled to become part of the Lakers’ rich history alongside his long-time idol. Coaches JJ Redick and Tyronn Lue are in agreement that the partnership between Doncic and James has the potential to be explosive.
“I have confidence that we can quickly figure out how to combine their talents effectively,” Redick expressed. While Doncic wasn’t set to debut with the Lakers that night, he was the center of attention leading up to the game after the blockbuster deal that sent Davis and Max Christie to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris.
Lue, who has experience coaching James during his championship run with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also weighed in on the matter. He acknowledged skepticism from others, including notable figures like Charles Barkley and Paul Pierce, regarding the compatibility of James and Doncic, given their ball-dominant play styles. “They’re not right,” Lue asserted. “It’ll work. With LeBron being the best player in the league for the last 15 years, and Luka being in the top three or five, they can and will find a way to make it all come together.”
Both players bring unique skills to the table. Redick noted his previous relationship with Doncic and expressed eagerness to establish a strong player-coach dynamic with him. Meanwhile, James admitted that losing Davis hit him hard, and he wasn’t alone in feeling this impact. Teammate Austin Reaves shared his unease, mentioning the deep bonds forged with Davis and Christie during their time together.
The excitement surrounding Doncic extended beyond the basketball court, as Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar shared his admiration for the move, recognizing Doncic’s status as a global superstar. “For our small country, he’s a huge figure, and everyone knows him. It’s fantastic to have him here,” Kopitar remarked.
