LeBron James provided his first public comments since the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic in a stunning trade.
With Doncic watching from the bench, James led the Lakers to a 122-97 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. After the game, he discussed the blockbuster deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.
LeBron isn’t bothered by the Lakers acquiring the 25-year-old Doncic with the future in mind. The 40-year-old indicated that he still plans to remain with the team beyond Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
“What’s wrong with that?” James asked in response to a question about the Lakers considering their future, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “If I had any concerns, I would have waived my no-trade clause and got up out of here.”
Earlier this season, James said he’d like to finish his career with the Lakers. He has a $52.7 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
The NBA’s all-time scoring leader wouldn’t commit to staying in L.A. until he retires, but he’s not looking to leave this week.
“I’m here right now, committed to the Lakers organization,” James said. “I’m here to help Luka and Maxi [Kleber] make the transition as smooth as possible … As the leader of the team, as one of the captains of the team, it’s my job to make it as seamless as possible.”
Like many fans, LeBron didn’t believe the trade was legitimate when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the deal late Saturday night.
“I was out with my family at dinner and got the news, and the first time I heard it, I thought it was for sure fake,” James admitted. “I thought it was a hoax, people messing around or whatever. But then when AD called me, AD FaceTimed me and I talked to him for quite a while. And even when I got off the phone with him, it still didn’t seem real.”
James called the deal “shocking” and said he had no knowledge of any talks beforehand.
“At the end of the day, I understand the business of basketball,” James said. “But I didn’t make the decision.”
However, LeBron isn’t worried about how he and Doncic will mesh on the court.
“It won’t take long. I can play with anybody, and I think he can as well,” he said. “So we’ll work well together.”
Related: Luka Doncic Reveals What LeBron Told Him Immediately After The Trade