Luka Doncic never wanted to be dealt by the Dallas Mavericks, and he believed that Texas would be his home for the entirety of his NBA career.
However, Dallas management felt otherwise and traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. In a shocking turn of events, Doncic formed an intriguing pairing with LeBron James, but also an educational relationship.
As James nears the end of his career, Doncic is next in line to lead L.A. in whatever is next. He can use this time to learn from a 22-year veteran, but also play alongside an ‘unbelievable’ teammate that is one of the greatest all-time, via the “Mind the Game” podcast:
“I mean, it’s great. You see, I’ve never played with a guy like this and just being traded to here to L.A., it was different. But, just to play with guys like him, it’s unbelievable. I could learn so many stuff, first of all off the court, all the things he does just to be ready for the game. And obviously, everybody knows what kind of player he is.”
Being dealt mid-season is never easy for any player, especially for Doncic, as he has to experience an entire culture shock. It’s great to see that he is already taking mental note of what James does to prepare for every game. One thing that stood out to the 26-year-old is that the four-time champion shows up hours before game time:
“Well, first of all, he shows up like 10 hours before the game. So, I mean that was really the main, like I was, what? I come to the arena and he’s already done working out, I was like what?”
In order to be great in this league, every second is precise, and James has his routine down to a science. It appears to be working wonders, considering how he is producing at 40 years old, and hopefully, Doncic can continue to pick his brain and apply it to his routine.
Assuming James runs it back for his 23rd season, Doncic and James would have a full offseason and training camp together to iron out any wrinkles in their pairing. Both being unselfish players, this challenge is not a difficult one, and hopefully, it can materialize into a championship duo next season.
Luka Doncic explains origin for love of basketball
Basketball was an early love for Luka Doncic as he played for Real Madrid as a teenager. Dating back to his childhood, Doncic revealed he played multiple sports, but explained how basketball came to the forefront.
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