The Lakers were without their newest signing Luka Doncic in the win over the Trail Blazers.
The Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James has made it clear that the franchise’s number one priority is their newest signing Luka Doncic. Notably, the Lakers snapped their two-game losing streak, as they took down the Trail Blazers 110-102 in their most-recent match-up.
During the game, James came up with a record-setting performance as he finished with 40 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes of action. With this, he became the first player in the history of the NBA to have multiple 40+ points games over the age of 40.
Not only this, but the clash against the Trail Blazers was his 1,542 game, which put him on the third spot on the all-time list for most games played in NBA history.
Following a stellar performance against the Blazers, the Lakers superstar revealed the “number one priority” of the franchise, and oh, it is not him. James revealed that their newly acquired superstar, Luka Doncic, is the future of the side and will be their number one priority.
“It’s not just the next game, it’s going to be a process for the rest of the season, as he continues to learn what we want to do offensively and defensively,” James said.
Heaping praise on the five-time NBA All-Star James said that Doncic is a great player and there is so much to learn from him as well. “Our system, our calls, and our cadence. We also have to figure out and learn from him as well. He’s such a great and unbelievable talent. We need to be able to play with him just as much as he needs to play with us,” he added.
Clearly naming Luka as their first priority, James said, “Every day, every game, every practice, every shootaround, every film session, we got to continue getting better and better at integrating our new parts. But he’s definitely priority number one.”
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Notably, the Lakers were without their newest signing Luka Doncic during the win over the 13th-seeded Western Conference team. The 25-year-old, who was traded from the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, was ruled out of the game due to injury management of his left calf. Notably, Doncic has played three games in the Purple and Gold jersey, and came up with decent performances so far.
In the three games, Doncic averaged at 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists, where the Lakers recorded two losses and one win. He averaged at 28.1 points per game with the Mavericks in the season and has been quite underwhelming ever since his return from the injury hiatus.
The Lakers, who are seeded in the fifth spot of the Western Conference standings with a solid 33-21 tally, will be up against the Nuggets on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Ahead of the game, the Lakers have listed James and Luka as probable on their injury report. This comes as a disappointment for the fans who have been hoping to see the James-Doncic duo come up with notable performances and prove themselves.
Apart from them, the side will be without Maxi Kleber who is out due to right foot surgery recovery and Bronny James, who is with his G League side, the South Bay Lakers.
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