LeBron James infamously left the Lakers after spending eight seasons playing for the team. He cited a desire for a fresh start and another championship ring as the primary reasons for his departure. There was no bad blood, but the Lakers had clearly planned to build the franchise around their new star player, Luka Doncic, instead of James.
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James left after playing about two seasons together. Their on-court relationship appeared warm, and it looked like James was ready to pass on the torch. Now, Doncic offered his own perspective on the situation and revealed details about James’ exit.
“Yeah,” he answered when Sports Illustrated asked him if LeBron James reached out to him after his exit. “I reached out to him, you know, thank you for everything. Obviously it was amazing being his teammate, and I learned so many things.”
Doncic’s transition to the Los Angeles Lakers was somewhat awkward. After all, he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks mid-2024-25 NBA season. This meant he had very little time to adapt to the team and vice versa.
He explained to Sports Illustrated that he didn’t have enough time to practice or get to know LeBron James or his other teammates. That season, Doncic averaged 28.2 PPG.
The team slowly adapted to help support him. This includes LeBron James. Fans initially doubted how the dynamic would work out with James not being the centerpiece anymore, but among the teammates, there was no friction.
“He just let me be me, and I really respect that,” Doncic told Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. “And the way he approached the game with us, it was unbelievable. It was very respectable.”
In LeBron James’ absence, Luka Doncic has truly become the face of the Los Angeles Lakers. He now has the responsibility to fill the future Hall of Famer’s shoes, and he’s leaving no stone unturned.
Luka Doncic’s Pre-Season Transformation Shows How Serious He Is
At the time of his trade, ESPN reported that the Dallas Mavericks had become concerned with Luka Doncic’s conditioning ahead of regular season play. In fact, fans had come to know him as someone who often played himself into top shape while on the court.
However, recently Doncic shut all the critics and cynics down. He knows that he has big shoes to fill as the leader of the Lakers squad. He underwent rigorous training to bring himself into a competitive shape before he arrived at the Lakers’ training camp.
“He’s great physically,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of Doncic after a pre-season win against the Kings. “I mean, the guy worked his b**t off all summer. Staying in shape and actually ran this summer. Like he actually did, like sprints and stuff, and came into camp in fantastic shape.”
Interestingly, he didn’t play a lot of live basketball, instead focusing on his conditioning and fitness. In July 2025, Doncic was already practicing to perfect his shape and conditioning.
He would go play with thick resistance bands attached to his torso and engage in two 90-minute workouts on a daily basis. He was serious about his time with his brand-new team.
Many were surprised when the Mavericks traded him. After all, he was the star player who put up a 33.9 PPG average in the 2023-24 season. He helped the team reach the NBA Finals, and yet it wasn’t enough.
Now, with the Los Angeles Lakers, he has the chance to lead another championship-ready team to the trophy. The next season awaits a thorough and seasoned Luka Doncic.