Luka Doncic becoming the face of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise was such a perfect storm. Doncic was already one of the most famous and most beloved players in the NBA even when he was still with the Dallas Mavericks, but being with the Lakers has made his star burn that much brighter. There's no coincidence that he ended up being the leading vote-getter for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, with over 3.4 million fan votes to his name.
Prior to the Lakers' Tuesday night contest against the Denver Nuggets during the NBA's Rivals Week, Spectrum SportsNet's Mike Trudell asked Doncic what it means for him to get that much love from fans all over the globe.
“It's pretty awesome. For me, I don't take it for granted. I wanna thank everybody that voted for me. That's a big, big achievement for me so it's incredible to lead this,” Doncic said. “Being an All-Star is an incredible honor.”
"It's pretty awesome… that's a big achievement for me, so it's incredible to lead this."
Luka Dončić speaks with @LakersReporter about leading the NBA in All-Star voting before tonight's matchup with the Nuggets. #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/m3fefS8nrr
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 21, 2026
Doncic is averaging 33.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 8.6 assists a night, making him well worthy of such an achievement. The Lakers would be lost without him, and while there are many things for the Purple and Gold to figure out, having Doncic around is already a good enough place to build the franchise on.
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Luka Doncic, Lakers figure out their ailing defense
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and forward Jake LaRavia (12) react against the Charlotte Hornets in the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
At present, the Lakers are rubbing elbows with some of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to defensive rating. They have the sixth-worst defense heading into their Tuesday night battle against the Nuggets, and they definitely need some outside help to try and cover for some of their weak spots.
Bolstering the team on the wings is going to be important for the Lakers prior to the trade deadline, although it remains to be seen just how aggressive they would be in pursuing upgrades on the market.