LeBron James has been, undoubtedly, the face of the NBA in the last two decades. People may argue about that, but that’s the hard truth. With LeBron nearing retirement, Adam Silver is left with an excruciating task: finding the next face of the league.
Fortunately, a familiar name that everyone loves to hate—or hates to love—is now sitting alongside The King, Luka Doncic. In his debut as a Laker, LA Luka had just shown everyone why he’s going to be the NBA’s new top dog.
LUKApalooza in Full Effect
Doncic had just made his debut on Tuesday, and fans were drooling over the Slovenian hotshot. His first matchup in a purple and gold uniform wasn’t necessarily a breakthrough, but rather a revelation.
The 25-year-old star only got 14 points in 23 minutes, but in that short window, Luka showed it’s going to be fun seeing him and LeBron playing on the same team. Two of the best playmakers in the NBA right now share the court, and with the Lakers going hot in the middle of the season, everything is about to be even more exciting.
But this is more than just making terrific passes. Before the game, LeBron gave Luka an explicit message, saying that he should be himself. James even let Luka have his spot as the last name to be called during pre-game introductions.
As expected, it inspired Luka, and they obviously had fun destroying the lowly Utah Jazz.
That right there, is where we see the passing of the torch. 20 years after being drafted, the kid from Akron now wants the so-called “wonder boy” to take the reins. Is it coincidental that they’re doing this transition in one of the biggest basketball markets in the league? Of all the places, LeBron handed the keys to Luka, as teammates, in the bright lights of Los Angeles.
LA Luka Magic
The Lakers are just a couple of pieces away from being championship favorites again. Doncic just added a huge boost to their offense, but they need someone to replace Anthont Davis, and a bit more. They did sign Alex Len, but this is still a long road for LeBron and Luka.
The LA Lakers have won 9 of their last 10 games and are now sitting on the 4th seed. The West is about to get even more exciting with LA Luka Magic.
