Luka Doncic loves playing with LeBron James in the Los Angeles Lakers, deeply respects the 40-year-old legend, and considers it an honor to be his teammate.
Luka Doncic is now the centerpiece of the Los Angeles Lakers' future, and his voice carries the most weight within the organization. Doncic "loves" playing alongside NBA legend LeBron James, whose future with the Lakers remains uncertain.
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Luka's manager, Lara Beth Seager, shared that sentiment with ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
"Luka loves playing with LeBron and has learned so much from him," Seager said. "He has nothing but the utmost respect for LeBron and considers it an honor to be his teammate."
"Championships are won when you work together. We all share that same goal."
Earlier this offseason, NBA insider John Gambadoro reported that both LeBron and Austin Reaves were unhappy playing with Doncic. However, Reaves' agent, Aaron Reilly, quickly denied that and said Reaves is actually excited to team up with Luka.
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Doncic and James played 23 games together last season, during which the LA Lakers went 15–8.
Still, it's clear the Lakers are pivoting toward Doncic. He was informed about the franchise's sale this summer—while LeBron, surprisingly, was not.
Doncic, a five-time All-Star, becomes eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million contract extension with the Lakers on August 2.
James, meanwhile, has already opted into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025–26 season. However, the Lakers did not offer him an extension—and notably, they haven't mentioned LeBron's return in any official team statement.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, "hard conversations" are expected between LeBron and the Lakers in the coming months.
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