When is the right time to start including one generational talent in the same stratosphere as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant? For Luka Doncic, there would be many who’d say he’s not there yet. But someone who has spent a big part of his career with the Black Mamba and gotten pumelled about eight times by His Airness, thinks it’s time to start talking. The argument, of course, stems from ring culture. While Luka Doncic is widely regarded as one of the five best active basketball players right now, a chorus of critics continues to express doubts over whether a team led by him can capture an NBA championship.

His critics frequently point to his underwhelming defense, his tendency to complain to referees, and an unprecedented, historically high usage rate as primary reasons he allegedly cannot anchor a title-winning roster. However, 5x Los Angeles Lakers champion Derek Fisher is pushing back against the narrative. Speaking on his show Derek & Decker via 97.1 The Fan, Fisher adamantly stated that he believes the 27-year-old superstar possesses the exact pedigree as MJ and Bryant to get to their level.

When asked directly if Doncic has the ability to lead the Lakers to the mountaintop, Fisher didn’t stutter. “The short answer is yes,” Fisher said, following Doncic’s recent All-NBA First Team selection. “He slowly worked his way up the MVP conversation late. The post-All-Star break run he was on prior to the injury was, yeah, there was another level of basketball that he was playing. Not just the scoring, but I thought his defense was improving.”

Fisher further hyped Doncic’s elite skills, comparing his impact on any roster to the leadership of MJ and Bean. “You need a superstar that can elevate his teammates either through—Michael [Jordan] did it through force. You had to get to Michael’s level. Kobe [Bryant] had some of that energy as well, but other guys, Magic [Johnson] did it differently… Luka has a lot of that energy about him.”

It’s well-documented. Michael Jordan repeatedly challenged Scottie Pippen or Horace Grant to beat him in practices. Bryant had a rigid, demanding regimen from teammates like Fisher. Magic Johnson was a little more clinical, compiling newspaper clippings to read out what the opposing fanbase was saying about the Showtime Lakers. Sometimes he even made it up.

Maybe we don’t see the same intimidation, ego-bruising, or clinical antics amid Luka bickering with Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Doncic’s style has been building team chemistry offcourt and ensuring his teammates dont lose their love for the game under pressure. It’s a deviation from the known facets of Mamba Mentality. Probably why it’s understated.

Fisher’s lofty comparison can rattle the hardest Doncic critics by framing his leadership style as a unique catalyst capable of driving a historic franchise back to championship glory. This high praise sets an optimistic tone for a critical offseason in Los Angeles, shifting the focus toward building the ideal roster around their centerpiece.

Lakers are invested in the Luka Doncic era

Derek Fisher is still on to something. As much as Luka Doncic has his critics, the Lakers are deadset on making him the franchise cornerstone. The impending offseason rests heavily on maximizing Doncic. This past season, the Slovenian phenom turned in an MVP-caliber campaign, averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game to finish fourth in the final MVP voting.

Fisher notes that Doncic’s gravity goes beyond playmaking. Luka Magic is the Lakers’ most useful recruiting tool. “I think the Lakers will be able to get free agents and guys to come and play here with Luka and his style of play,” Fisher explained. It boils down to Doncic’s leadership as the Lakers vet said. There are, in fact, a lot of players who would want to play alongside someone like him.

Despite not charming fans or media, he crawled his way into the MVP conversation late in the season putting up MVP numbers and matching Kobe Bryant’s 60-point ‘Mamba Out’ record. Having officially entered the absolute prime of his career at age 27, Doncic has already proven a capacity to go far in the postseason. Just two years ago, he famously led a fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks squad to an unexpected NBA Finals appearance.

As per Fisher, they have the generational talent piece. The Lakers just need to make the biggest front office maneuvers to help him. They’ll have to add pieces that address his specific needs like perimeter defense. Doncic scouted Marcus Smart for this reason last summer. While only Smart’s availability has been the hurdle, the Lakers’ Deandre Ayton experiment has sputtered. Which is probably why all their trade rumors center around viable bigs who can catch the triple-double machine’s lobs.

With the right personnel moves on the horizon, the Lakes are on track to secure a championship in the Luka Doncic era very soon.