The LA Lakers had one simple job after the All-Star break—a win against the Charlotte Hornets. Easy, right? It sure looked that way early on. But as the game unraveled, Charlotte turned up the heat, outplaying Luka Doncic and LeBron James in the second half. The result? A gut-wrenching 97-100 loss at Crypto.com Arena! Laker Nation left disappointed, while the Hornets, fueled by something deeper—maybe even Mark Williams’ heartbreak—claimed a win they desperately needed.
Meanwhile, LeBron James was flying high throughout the game. That man is 40, are you sure? Because those dunks and that poster over Mark Williams clearly told a different story. He scored 26 points while Doncic could chip in only 14. Well, he played only his third game in this new ecosystem, so we can make certain considerations.
However, losing the game right after the All-Star break surely didn’t feel good. Nonetheless, losing is also a part of the gig. Sitting before the media in a post-game presser, Doncic shared his experience of being ‘the guy’ in-bounding the ball vs. the guy taking the shot alongside LeBron in the Hornets game. This question came after James missed two BIG chances to potentially tie the game.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s both ways, you know,” Luka candidly shared in the presser. “He had it going so obviously we’re going to go to him. I think he goes both ways, so one time’s going to be him, one time me. So I think it depends on how the game is going.”
So, according to Luka Doncic, it’s always going to be Bron and him taking those last-moment shots in any game, big or small. Then what about Austin Reaves, JJ Redick’s future primary point guard? Seems like Hillybilly Kobe has been cut out of the scene!
Feb 12, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) warms up before a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Given the recent contributions, it’ll be difficult to ignore Reaves. He’s been tremendous lately, with an average of 18.9 points per game. And don’t you forget, it was AR-15 who landed the game-winning layup against the Bay on Christmas Day. LeBron was man-marked. Thus, to think that Redick or anyone could actually sideline Reaves from the scoring scenes, they’re simply bluffing themselves.
However, this whole ignoring thing might not have been Luka’s intention at all…
But what’s more concerning for the fans and the franchise is one scary question. Is Doncic a Laker at heart yet?
Well, to be honest, if I’d been Rob Pelinka, this question would’ve given me sleepless nights. Let’s face it, the August extension awaits. The Slovenian can sign for as much as $229M over 5 years. If by then Luka doesn’t set his heart in LA, it could mean trouble for the team.
Is the future of the LeBron James and Luka Doncic pair thrown into the darkness?
During the post-game presser, Luka was asked another question: “Did you spend All-Star break kind of studying how you could fit in alongside LeBron and what you guys can do together?” To this, the 25-year-old Slovenian responded: “Honestly, I was getting my mind off basketball a little bit. But I was just excited to come back and play.”
No, he wasn’t thinking about basketball. And, no, he wasn’t thinking or studying ways to fit into James‘ ecosystem. Most importantly, what if Doncic was simply escaping from the overwhelming environment he has been in recently following his move from Dallas to LA?
Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on from the court against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
But, Brian Windhorst has some concerning observations to present. He recently disclosed that the LA Lakers front office is under immense pressure. This is because, “between now and August 2, to get Luka to sign that extension. That’s where the pressure is. Because Luka doesn’t have his incentive to sign. He never said, ‘I want to be a Laker.’” There are dozens of players who make it clear they want to be a Laker. But, “Luka never said that. This hit him out of the blue. It cost him $100 million.”
Moreover, Luka Doncic will want to see how the team builds around him, and what they do in June and July. Ultimately, their efforts now have to lead to a change of heart for Doncic in August, thus making him sign the extension.
Windy further added: “The Lakers ain’t winning a championship this year. Their big moment is whether or no Luka commits to the future.” So that they can properly try their luck out in the championship race and make him the face of the organization.
To be fair, a lot depends on Rob Pelinka and Co. as it might reflect in Luka Doncic’s extension decision… Thus throwing the future with LeBron James into the darkness, Luka Doncic subtly waltzes through the NBA chaos in his new Purple and Gold jersey No. 77, leaving everybody scratching their heads. What does destiny have for the Lakers? What do you think?
The post Luka Doncic Completely Alienates Lakers Star as Future With LeBron James Takes Drastic Turn appeared first on EssentiallySports.