Luka Doncic has quickly endeared himself to the Los Angeles Lakers fanbase as he’s happily played to the crowd when the team is at home.
Doncic has a knack for making magic happen on the basketball court and the Lakers are all too familiar with superstars taking over games. For example, Doncic was brilliant in Los Angeles’ win against the Denver Nuggets as he led all scorers with 31 points in just 32 minutes.
The Lakers have been one of the best home teams in the league during the 2024-25 season and Doncic noted how much the fans play a part in that.
“I mean, you just feel the energy in the crowd,” he said after the team’s ninth straight home victory. “Some crazy shots that I can hit. So, when I hit one of those, I know the crowd goes crazy and just gives energy. I don’t think just for me, so just, and for the whole team. It’s great. It’s a bit more of a break. We haven’t played the fourth quarter yet, but it’s great.”
Doncic got off to a hot start against a Denver team without Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, draining shot after shot en route to a 21-point first quarter outburst. The superstar cooled off from that point, but he was still the clear focus for the Nuggets defense.
“It’s just what the defense gives you. In the first [quarter], they’ll just switch and let me go one-on-one, so I know at some point, they’re going to double. I’d say that is better that we play four-on-three, and we were doing great, and that’s the game.”
Doncic is a natural crowd-pleaser with his playstyle and penchant for making plays on the offensive end of the floor. Whether he’s launching the basketball from deep or finding an open teammate, Doncic has a natural flair for getting the fans going in the middle of games.
The organization and its fanbase have looked and felt reinvigorated since Doncic arrived in Los Angeles and there’s plenty of optimism both the rest of this season and beyond. While LeBron James is still the face of the franchise, Doncic is next in line and showing what he can do when he’s running the show.
These past couple of wins have helped the Lakers reclaim their spot atop the Western Conference standings, though things don’t get much easier in the coming weeks as there aren’t many breaks. Fortunately for the purple and gold, Doncic is rounding into form and he seems on track to be back to 100 percent come the playoffs.
Luka Doncic appreciates being accepted in Lakers locker room
The Luka Doncic trade shook the NBA at its core, though the Lakers certainly had no issue adding a generational superstar to pair with LeBron James. Any time a player is traded, there’s going to be an acclimation period though Doncic was appreciative of being accepted in the Lakers’ locker room so quickly.
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