Luka Dončić reveals how Lakers are preparing for season opener without LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed last week that LeBron James will miss the start of the 2025–26 NBA season, which officially tips off on October 21 when they host the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. The future Hall of Famer is expected to be sidelined for three to four weeks with right-side sciatica.

With James out, the spotlight now shifts to the team’s newest superstar, Luka Dončić. The Slovenian guard is entering his first full season with the Lakers and addressed LeBron’s absence ahead of the season opener. Dončić acknowledged the loss but emphasized that the team must maintain a “next man up” mentality.

What next for the Lakers?

“It’s a big change. He’s a great player and can help us a lot,” Dončić said of James’ injury.

“But at the end of the day, our mentality has to be that the next guy is ready. We have a group of players who’ve been putting in the work, and hopefully LeBron can return as soon as possible. Obviously, we’re going to need him, but until then, the focus is simple. The next one is ready.”

Dončić joined the Lakers midway through last season after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks in February. In 28 games with Los Angeles, he averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, quickly finding chemistry with his new teammates. He and James shared the court in 23 games, posting a 15–8 record together.

With James sidelined, one spot in the starting lineup remains open alongside Dončić, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, and Rui Hachimura. Head coach JJ Redick plans to evaluate potential replacements during the upcoming preseason games, giving several players a chance to earn that role. He has a lot of work to do before the team’s season opener.

The Lakers’ next preseason matchup comes Tuesday, when they host the Phoenix Suns, marking the preseason debuts of both Dončić and Marcus Smart.

“We knew about this before training camp started, so it hasn’t really changed our approach to practice or what we want to accomplish in these preseason games,” Redick said. “It’s still uncertain what the starting lineup will look like, that’s just the reality until LeBron comes back. We’ll have to figure that out.”

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