LeBron James Welcomes Luka Doncic to Lakers in Blockbuster NBA Trade
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LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has expressed his enthusiasm about teaming up with Luka Doncic at the Los Angeles Lakers following a blockbuster trade that saw Anthony Davis move to the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers officially introduced Luka Doncic this Tuesday, setting the basketball community abuzz with the major shake-up.
James, who found out about the trade late Saturday, shared his mixed emotions about the departure of Davis, his teammate and close friend for six years, with whom he clinched an NBA championship. “It’s been a whirlwind,” James remarked after the Lakers’ recent win against the Clippers.
“It’s been challenging for sure, especially for me. I had six years with AD, and won a championship with my guy, one of my best friends. But you know it’s a business, and you understand that. It’s the business of basketball.”
Despite the emotional farewell to Davis, James quickly turned his attention to the potential of playing alongside Luka Doncic. “It’s going to be special,” James predicted. “We’re gonna attract a lot of eyes. Obviously, our ability to score, rebound, and pass — it’s gonna make it a lot easier on our teammates, and that’s all we want to do.”
James highlighted the advantages of their partnership, aiming to simplify the game for their teammates with setups for easy scores. “We want to be able to create opportunities for our teammates where they only have to catch, finish, catch dunk, catch, and shoot, and it’s our job to lead them every single night.”
Regarding Doncic, James expressed confidence in the young star’s abilities. “Listen, Luka is a big-time player, 25 years old, hasn’t even reached his prime yet, and he’s done some amazing stuff in our league already. I’m happy to have him. And LA is happy to have him. It’s still a little bit surreal, to be honest.”
Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka mentioned that Doncic, who has been recovering from a calf injury since December 25, might soon make his debut with the team, possibly in the upcoming game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.