The Los Angeles Lakers opened their 2025-26 season with a disappointing loss to the Golden State Warriors, but it wasn’t for lack of effort from Luka Dončić. The newly acquired superstar delivered a dominant performance without LeBron James, who sat out due to injury.
Dončić stuffed the stat sheet with 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists, coming just one dime shy of a triple-double. He also made an impact defensively, recording two steals and one block, showcasing a more complete two-way game.
The performance placed Dončić in elite company. His 43 points made him only the third player in Lakers history to score at least 40 points in a season opener, joining Kobe Bryant and Elgin Baylor. Notably, the mark is one that Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James never reached in their respective season openers.
Bryant last accomplished the feat on Oct. 30, 2007, scoring 45 points in a loss to the Houston Rockets. He shot 13-of-32 from the field while adding eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block.
That said, Baylor’s performance remains the most prolific. On Oct. 18, 1959, as a member of the Minneapolis Lakers, he erupted for 52 points and 21 rebounds in a loss to the Detroit Pistons, shooting 22-of-36 from the field.
For comparison, James’ highest-scoring opening night as a Laker came on Oct. 19, 2021, also against the Warriors, when he tallied 34 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
The Lakers will remain without James on Friday when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he continues to recover from sciatica.