Luka Doncic Owes LeBron James for Major Favor in Summer Amid Lakers Rift, Claims Source

Los Angeles Lakers may be undergoing a “regime change,” but one of the biggest storylines of the summer has nothing to do with the front office—it’s Luka Dončić’s stunning transformation. The Lakers superstar reportedly dropped 31 pounds in the offseason, a change that set not only Lakers Nation but also Dallas. The excitement makes sense: during the 2024–25 campaign, Doncic faced constant criticism for his weight and conditioning. Many assumed that public scrutiny pushed the 26-year-old to make the change—until a new revelation suggested otherwise.

Recently, Lakers’ assistant coach Greg St. Jean, who is currently accompanying Doncic at the EuroBasket 2025, revealed that, contrary to popular belief, it is none other than his teammate, LeBron James, who played a massive role in Doncic’s weight transformation. “You know what? I always find this — iron sharpens iron,” Jean told BasketNews. “When you’re around really good players, it’s just like when you’re a coach, and you’re around a really good coach. You can’t help but be motivated to continue to get better at your craft.”

“I think Luka’s learned a little bit from every great player he’s been around. And I know he’s always looked up to LeBron. He’s always been somebody he’s really admired. So I think having those two together is obviously motivating. I think it’s two-way motivating as well. I don’t think it’s just a one-way street,” he added. Moreover, St. Greg Jean, who has a great working relationship with Luka Doncic, also pointed out it’s a two-way road with both players motivating each other. But when it comes to fitness, LeBron’s strict yet simple routine is what draws attention

Even at nearly 40, he follows an elite recovery routine that includes cryotherapy, oxygen chambers, contrast therapy, and structured muscle activation. On game days, his schedule is meticulously mapped out—from early cold plunges to pre-game naps—to ensure his body performs at its peak. It’s not just about cutting-edge tools.

At a glance: LeBron James’ matchday routine. *When played at LA.

LeBron has often emphasized that his most valuable recovery method is also the simplest: sleep. He consistently builds extra hours of rest into his schedule, taking mid-day naps and protecting his night-time sleep environment to maximize recovery. That discipline allows him to keep performing at an MVP level, and it’s exactly the kind of lifestyle adjustment Luka is now embracing as he reshapes his own conditioning. And this weight loss seems to be working pretty well for Doncic.

He is currently in Europe, playing for Slovenia in the EuroBasket and averaging 33 points, along with 7.3 rebounds and 9.7 assists, even though it has failed to translate into wins (1-2). However, while this indicates that everything is smooth between Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the same cannot be said for the 40-year-old’s relationship with the Purple & Gold.

There seems to be a rift between the Lakers and LeBron James

We all know that LeBron James is a Los Angeles Lakers player for the upcoming season, after the veteran forward opted for his $52.3 million player option. However, he might not stay in Southern California past that. James’s agent and close friend, Rich Paul, has already hinted that the future Hall of Famer will be assessing his options. While that might not be before this summer, it surely will be the case in 2026, once his deal with LA expires.

Now, to make things even more interesting, Lakers journalist and host of the ‘Locked on Lakers’ podcast, Andy Kamenetzky, has also weighed in on this speculation. While Kamenetzky suggested that if James wanted to leave the Lakers, he could’ve done so in the past, he did acknowledge that there’s a rift between the 40-year-old and the franchise. “The Lakers, if we’re being honest, they’ve they are always something of a dramatic team,” he suggested.

“Like this is a franchise that is always connected to some degree of drama if for no other reason that everyone’s always paying attention to them. So, anything that happens is treated as like a five alarm fire or an emergency… And LeBron is somebody that has always both commanded and frankly demanded a lot of attention. So you put those elements together and a perception that I think is understandable that LeBron is not completely at peace with his relationship with the Lakers right now,” Kamenetzky added.

Well, that does seem to be the case. That’s because LeBron James has not been actively involved in the team activities this season. His most notable absence was during Luka Doncic’s contract extension presser, where almost the entire Lakers franchise was present– all the way from head coach JJ Redick to Doncic’s teammates. While the veteran did FaceTime Doncic later, something didn’t seem right.

In fact, this wasn’t the only such instance; new signing Marcus Smart also revealed that James did not contact him upon his arrival. Nonetheless, all of this might actually be unintentional, given that the Lakers’ superstar is a busy man. But given that this has happened multiple times, it’s hard to believe that. So, James’ situation at L.A. might be worth keeping an eye on in the coming months.