Luka Doncic sends threatening message after Lakers debut
The Los Angeles Lakers hope pairing Doncic with LeBron James can fire them back into contention for the NBA championship.
The Luka Doncic era is underway at the Los Angeles Lakers, with the Slovenian star teaming up with LeBron James for the first time to help the Californians to a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz, their sixth straight victory.
Luka Doncic’s numbers on Lakers debut
On his return from a calf injury, Doncic bagged 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 24 minutes on court. Not to be outdone, LeBron James finished the game as the Lakers’ leading scorer with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
The former Mavericks man’s tally was a far cry from the 28.6 points per game he has averaged during his time in the NBA to date, although it was a solid enough start to his Lakers career after a spell on the sidelines.
Doncic’s postgame interview: Lakers welcome, LeBron message
After the game, Doncic gave a court-side interview to ESPN and revealed he had been given a very warm welcome by everyone connected to his new team.
“It was special. The way they received me. Everybody: teammates, front office, everybody here. I heard a lot of noise when I was introduced, so I really appreciate it, it was a special moment.
James was overheard giving Doncic an emphatic message before the start of the game, one which the guard revealed was echoed by coach JJ Redick: “(The message was) simple. ‘Be you. Be you.’”
NBA must be wary of “dangerous” Lakers
The five time NBA All-Star also sent a somewhat threatening message to the rest of the NBA when asked how dangerous the Lakers could be moving forward: “Very dangerous. I think the ball was moving very well. I think we can lock down a lot of players. I was just happy to be on the court again”.
The Lakers won the inaugural NBA Cup in 2023 but haven’t won the NBA championship since 2019/20. Behind the Boston Celtics, they are the second most decorated team in the league’s history with 17 titles, although they haven’t come close to contending in the last four seasons.
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