Luka Doncic has turned stat sheets into storybooks. Last season, he averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists a night, all while setting an NBA record with six straight 30-point triple-doubles with the Mavs. Then came EuroBasket 2025, where he scorched defenses with a tournament-leading 34.7 points per game. Numbers like that inevitably spark observations, but the conversation shifted again this week when one of Magic Johnson’s Hall of Fame teammates weighed in with a pointed comparison, and even pulled two more Lakers into the discussion.

James Worthy didn’t hold back while describing what connects Doncic to Johnson. “Well, the one thing that Magic and Luka have in common is that they can take a snapshot. Both of them are really good rebounders. They get that rebound, and they take a quick shot of the whole floor going down, and then their ability to calculate their steps and know where you’re gonna be,” Worthy said. He pointed to Magic’s iconic no-look pass to Billy Thompson as the standard, which is a play Doncic himself now mirrors with his vision and timing.

And for Worthy, the traffic is where Doncic shines most. “I think Luka is really good in traffic. That’s where I think Ayton’s gonna really explode with a lot of alley-oops and easy buckets, because Luka just, he just looks at you and smiles, and he throws a little lob to the right.” The same applies to Jaxson Hayes, who earned LeBron’s trust last season as a rim-runner. Now, Worthy is effectively putting both Lakers big men on notice as Luka’s presence changes expectations. And it’s not just talk.

Luka has been rewriting records since he arrived in Los Angeles. Just last postseason, he averaged a stunning 30.2 points and 7.8 assists while leading all players in minutes, with 900 recorded minutes on the court. That kind of output put him side-by-side with Kobe Bryant in the Lakers‘ books, too. In April, Doncic became only the second Laker after Kobe to post back-to-back games with 35+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 5+ threes, which Kobe first pulled off in 2006.

And like Worthy highlighted, Doncic and Johnson share an uncanny ability to read the floor off the rebound. Luka is pulling down 9.2 boards per game for his career, while Magic averaged 7.2 over his legendary run. That extra hustle on the glass turns into quick decisions and floor vision, the very skill Worthy praised when comparing their “snapshot” ability. The parallels keep stacking.

God Shammgod, speaking on the It Is What It Is podcast, made it clear: “When the game was the biggest and the brightest, he was never a passenger, he was always a driver. For me it’s Jordan, Kobe, Luka when it comes to the it factor.” And well, being the “driver,” Doncic’s influence doesn’t end with the box score.

Luka Doncic’s influence in Los Angeles

His fingerprints were all over the Lakers’ offseason, starting with Deandre Ayton. Reports confirmed Doncic vouched for Ayton directly with Lakers management, a move that shaped the team’s roster direction. Ayton, now on a two-year, $16.2 million deal, arrives in Los Angeles as a prove-it player, but with the backing of the franchise’s new star.

Ayton’s resume has peaks, too. He was the backbone of Phoenix’s 2021 Finals run, grabbing 19 rebounds in Game 1 against the Clippers. But the valleys have been glaring as stretches of low energy and inconsistent rebounding left Phoenix frustrated. His placement at No. 30 in The Athletic’s Top-40 Big Men rankings stresses the doubts. For a former No. 1 pick at 27 years old, that’s a painful message. But now the calculus is different.

“This is an opportunity I won’t take for granted,” Ayton said on arrival. “Luka is a once-in-a-generation player, and I’m happy to be his teammate.” This makes the subtext clear that since Luka vouched, now Ayton must deliver. The same applies to Jaxson Hayes. Worthy noted how Hayes already benefited from LeBron’s playmaking last season, but with Doncic, the opportunities rise. Hayes’ length and athleticism fit Luka’s lob-heavy style, and in a league where rim protection and roll gravity are currency, this season will test whether he can cash in.

Though Hayes’ numbers don’t exactly shine the brightest as he averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists on 72.2% shooting last season. Doncic himself has faced tests since joining Los Angeles. Weight concerns and questions about stamina trailed him out of Dallas. But this summer, he showed up leaner, reportedly down more than 30 pounds, and in arguably the best condition of his career. Now that conditioning matters because when your star is logging 30-plus minutes a night in, every pound counts. 

Even abroad, Luka hasn’t slowed. At EuroBasket 2025, he averaged 34.7 points per game, becoming just the third player in history to average north of 30 in the event. And for the LakersNation, there’s symbolism in every step. As Shammgod put it: “Luka has never told anyone to cut somebody, trade somebody, I need more help. That’s half the battle right there.” That patience, coupled with control, may be his greatest play yet. Because in Los Angeles, superstars don’t just win games. They shape legacies, rosters, and the direction of the franchise.

For Luka Doncic, the echoes of Magic Johnson aren’t fading. They’re growing louder. And for Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes, the message remains simple yet powerful that when Luka takes the snapshot, you better be ready to finish the picture.