LeBron sends clear message to Luka Doncic after contract extension
The NBA legend didn’t take a long time to contact Doncic after the new boy signed a bumper deal with the Lakers.
Luka Doncic has been the name on everyone’s lips this past year — and rightly so. The 26-year-old NBA star stunned the world of basketball and the wider sporting universe after a shock trade to the Los Angeles Lakers stunned everyone, most of all Dallas Mavericks fans. He had already made a name for himself as one of the NBA’s most exciting players, and now, out of nowhere, he was suiting up for one of the league’s most storied franchises.
His first season in Los Angeles, while impressive, wasn’t groundbreaking. Still, Dončić’s physical transformation was widely documented, and fans are eager to see what he can do when the purple and gold return to the court next season.
In the meantime, the Slovenian signed a new, $165 million contract extension with the side. Since then, public messages of congratulations have been flying in from all sides. But not from LeBron James.
Here’s the breakdown of the Luka Doncic contract: pic.twitter.com/sXtkLIiEiB
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 2, 2025
The Lakers legend is now an NBA veteran, and Doncic’s fresh legs, many believe, are here to usurp him and take him away as the poster boy. As such, rumours quickly swirled that hinted at something below the surface. Rumblings of LeBron’s future at the Lakers franchise had also been floated, only making the waters even murkier.
However, ESPN confirmed via unnamed sources that LeBron James did indeed quickly move to contact the former Mavs star via a private video call to send his congratulations. The two will pair up for the following season — LeBron opted into his $52.6 million player option — in what could be a performance package for the ages in the NBA.
Last season, Luka Doncic and LeBron James played a total of 23 times together, going 16-7 overall. Doncic ended up averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game across 70 appearances while his teammate managed 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game.
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The Los Angeles Lakers finished the 2024–25 regular season with a 50–32 record, securing the 3rd seed in the Western Conference, but their playoff run ended in disappointment, losing in the first round by the 6th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, losing the series in five games (4–1).
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