NBA fans were treated to one of the most shocking trades in history this year. In the month of February, the Dallas Mavericks made a final call on Luka Doncic’s future. Mavs GM Nico Harrison decided that it was time to part ways with their superstar.
Luke Doncic has been one of the best players in the NBA ever since he made the switch from Real Madrid in Spain. Mavs drafting Luka as their 3rd pick in 2018 was one of the success stories of the draft. 7 years down the road, Luka felt betrayed by the team he held dear.
LeBron James and the Lakers welcomed Luka Doncic with open arms. Even though he was saddened by the exit, the Lakers’ response to his arrival certainly boosted his confidence. And, obviously, the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of playing with LeBron James certainly did him the world of good.
In a recent sit-down, Doncic reflected on his trade to the Lakers, playing with LeBron James and a hint at the future of his basketball career.
Doncic shared how LeBron inspired him to expand his horizons. Just like James, Doncic would also like to try his hand at different businesses. He, like all of us, is intrigued by James’ “business acumen” apart from his “rigorous conditioning”. “That’s something I’m very, very interested in,” he said about sports ownership.
LeBron’s ties with Liverpool were one of the biggest affiliations between two massive fan bases, the NBA and soccer. Inspired by James, Luka also mentioned something that he might not do like his Lakers teammate.
When asked about playing basketball even into his 40s, his response was very firm. “No,” he says. “I don’t think so.” We understand that not everybody can be LeBron James, not even someone as talented as the Serbian.
Lakers Next Season with Luka Doncic and LeBron James
The 2025-26 season will be the first full season for the duo. In the limited game time that LeBron and Luka shared, there were glimpses of some of the best basketball from the duo’s partnership. It did take a fair amount of time for the two to sync up and play at the same frequency. However, that chemistry fix probably came too late in the season for the Lakers.
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The Lakers lost in the Western Conference first round last season. They fell embarrassingly short 4-1 vs the Minnesota Timberwolves. LeBron is going into his 23rd season and turning 41; it is probably time for Luka Doncic to take the lead and help James end his career with another NBA championship.
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