The Luka Dončić trade still doesn’t sit well with most of the NBA world. Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s bold move to let go of the franchise’s biggest superstar in decades shocked millions. But it would be safe to claim that Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers walked away as the winners in the trade.
Dončić came to LA with an injury, and it took him some time to set foot on the court, but the Slovenian guard has made his way to JJ Redick’s roster. In addition, he has also formed a decent connection with the one and only LeBron James.
Dončić and James put on a show against the mighty Denver Nuggets, who were also at full strength, with the Lakers duo scoring 32 and 23 points, respectively.
Luka Dončić Talks About Life in LA After Phenomenal Performance vs. Nuggets
After the sensational game vs. Nikola Jokić and Co., Dončić spoke to ESPN about how the last few weeks have been for him with James and the Lakers.
He said, “Hard. Different. But, you know, I’m happy to be playing basketball, every day is gonna get better…I’m happy to be here, playing with these guys. It’s been incredible, so I’m happy about the new journey.”
“Hard. Different. … I’m happy for the new journey.”
—Luka Doncic tells @saltersl what the last few weeks have been like after his best game with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/jdDUChI2Xk
— ESPN (@espn) February 23, 2025
Dončić has made it no secret that he is a King James superfan and vice versa. It’s a beautiful sight to witness a young superstar learn the tricks of the trade from one of the GOATs, and it looks like it won’t take Dončić long to get into his groove.
In just a few games, the former Mavs guard has built a connection with James, which was evident against Denver.
In the first quarter, Dončić grabbed a defensive rebound from Jamal Murray’s miss and made a perfect pass for the four-time NBA champ to slam it down. If that wasn’t enough, the 25-year-old made a magical lob over Murray just before halftime, which ended in a two-hand dunk from James.
The partnership between Dončić and James is interesting, but it’s a massive gamble for the Lakers to go deep into the season without a traditional center. Nevertheless, Redick’s genius strategy seems to be working so far.
