The Lakers have long moved to LeBron James’ rhythm, and he isn’t used to sharing the stage. For two decades, the script has been the same. He enters, the spotlight follows, and everyone else adjusts their lines. But in Los Angeles right now? There’s a fresh voice in the room, and it’s Luka Doncic calling the cues. The tension is sitting right there on the Lakers’ hardwood, bouncing between LeBron and Luka like an invisible ball that nobody quite knows how to handle.

The whispers started months ago. A smile here, a shrug there, and soon enough, the narrative built itself: LeBron isn’t thrilled with Los Angeles’ Luka-centric pivot. His agent teased possibilities with the Clippers, Warriors, Hawks, and even the Cavs, stoking the fire. Meanwhile, the franchise’s most respected voices, the very ones who stood firmly in LeBron’s corner for years, are suddenly sending their praise elsewhere.

Enter James Worthy, a Lakers legend who rarely misses a chance to protect the King’s throne. This time, though? His words landed differently. “I’ve seen his body, I haven’t seen it working out at all, but it happens,” Worthy told ClutchPoints about Luka Doncic’s new look. “A lot of players come in and they get to 25 or 26 years old and they figure it out, and he’s no different. So it’s good to see that he’s aware of it and knows what he has to do to stay on the floor.”

Worthy doubled down with more clarity, making it clear that Luka’s commitment is not just cosmetic. “I think it was critical because it sets the tone for other players that we need to build this team up,” Worthy explained. “So I think having that contract solidified early, it sends messages that the Lakers are really trying to do something long-term. I think that was key. And hopefully players will want to play with Luka because he’s a dynamic passer and dynamic player. He’s already proven that, 27 years old. He’s got a lot of gas left, so it’s a good thing to do.”

Those are the kinds of sentiments Worthy once reserved for LeBron alone. Now? They’re tethered to Luka’s rise. The optics sting. Especially because LeBron was the architect of Luka Doncic’s arrival in the first place. “I’m happy to have him, and LA is happy to have him,” LeBron said back in February. Only now, the torch feels like it’s burning his hand.

LeBron’s production is still absurd by any metric. At 40 years old, he averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds last season. No one else in NBA history has sustained that kind of output at his age with more than 50,000 points career-wide. Yet for all the numbers, the Lakers’ internal focus has shifted. Luka is younger, louder in the locker room, and more marketable. He’s the one on Men’s Health covers and the one dictating signings.

And while Luka is flexing a new frame and new habits, LeBron is exploring rule tweaks on podcasts, pitching shorter games and Euro-inspired adjustments. “The 40-minute game is intriguing,” he said on Mind the Game. Intriguing, yes. But also telling. Is this about reinventing basketball, or quietly signaling that his personal reign is winding down? The irony is brutal.

LeBron James’ future is at a crossroads again

Just last summer, Luka was on the opposite end of the fitness narrative. Viral clips of him reaching for a beer, whispers about hookah and nightlife, and executives warning of a collapse all painted him as the NBA’s next cautionary tale. That reputation followed him out of Dallas and directly into LeBron’s world. But Los Angeles changes people. By the time training camp hit, Luka was leaner and posting his best conditioning of his career.

It’s not just diet and dumbbells either. His presence has shifted the Los Angeles Lakers’ entire ecosystem. Deandre Ayton’s arrival on a prove-it deal? That’s Luka’s influence. The chemistry reads different, too. Reports from Phoenix insider John Gambadoro claimed, “LeBron does not like playing with Luka. Reaves does not like playing with Luka.” Whether overstated or not, the rumblings echo louder each week. And Worthy’s comments only add more legitimacy.

That’s where the unease sets in. LeBron exercised his $52.6 million player option for 2025-26, anchoring him in Los Angeles for at least another year. Yet with the Warriors poking around trade scenarios and the Hawks tossing cryptic workout photos online, every move feels like a test. Is LeBron the Lakers’ immovable legend, or their most movable asset?

Meanwhile, Luka just keeps stacking his case. He signed a $165 million extension through 2028, averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in his first Lakers campaign, and ranked fourth-best in the West by most analysts heading into this season. Franz Wagner even went on record praising his unique style: “I think Luka, um, you know, I think there’s few players in the world that know as versatile or um can manipulate the game as well as he does offensively.”

LeBron is still extraordinary, still redefining what a 40-year-old can do. But Luka is fresher and shaping the Lakers’ future in ways that even legends like Worthy are openly backing. And in Los Angeles, perception is everything. Fans remember Bronny’s Maui ice cream moment just as vividly as Luka’s beer snatch from a year earlier. Small images become big narratives. The man who once made every headline is now watching a teammate steal them with each transformation.

LeBron James hasn’t been forgotten. He’s still LeBron James. But in a league where relevance trumps resumes, the balance of power in L.A. is tilting. The King isn’t out. But for the first time in a long time, he isn’t the only one in the throne room.