It has not been talked about nearly enough, but LeBron James is living through [a moment in Los Angeles Lakers history](https://lakeshowlife.com/lebron-james-update-gives-lakers-breather-before-piling-pressure-right-back-on) that the organization has seen play out before. This time, though, he is the one on the other end of it. Since the blockbuster trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers back in February, the dynamic in LA has quietly shifted. Whether LeBron likes it or not, this team now belongs to number 77. And honestly, it should.
Luka is not just the future of the league, he is the present. His first few months in a Lakers uniform confirmed what most people around the NBA already knew: he does not need years to adapt to new surroundings. He just needs the ball in his hands and the trust to run the show. From the moment he got to LA, that has been the case.
LeBron might still be the face on the banners and the jerseys in the crowd, but when the game tips off, it is Luka setting the tone. And LeBron, to his credit, seems to be leaning into it more than resisting it.
The Lakers are Luka Doncic's team now
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That does not mean he is handing over the keys with a smile on his face. LeBron is still one of the most competitive players to ever step on a court, and there is no way he enjoys playing second fiddle in his own building. But this is not a case of fading into the background because of age or injury. This is more about timing. Luka is just entering his prime. He controls the tempo, and the Lakers are now building around that.
For the franchise, it is a familiar scene. They went through something like this when LeBron first arrived and nudged out their young core at the time. The energy shifted immediately, and the Lakers bent to the shape of their new star. Now it is happening again, only this time it is LeBron who is adjusting his game and role for someone else.
It is not a bad thing. If anything, it might be the only path left for the Lakers to chase another title before LeBron walks away. Luka gives them that shot. He is younger and capable of carrying the offensive load across an 82-game season without needing to be load-managed into April. And if LeBron can slide into more of a playmaking and support role without feeling like he is being phased out, the pairing can still work wonderfully.
But there is no mistaking it: this is Luka’s team now. LeBron might still be on the court, and he might still have flashes where he looks like a top-10 player. But he is not the one everything runs through anymore. And deep down, he probably knows it. Because ultimately, he knows how the story goes from here.