LOS ANGELES There was a new superstar teammate sitting next to LeBron James in the place Anthony Davis had held for years when he was substituted out of the first quarter of Tuesday’s eventual 122-97 victory against the Clippers and marched to his usual position toward the end of the Lakers’ bench.
Over the weekend, the NBA’s talent elevator brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles in a transaction that rocked the league. Only now, after processing losing Davis as a teammate after six seasons together and first thinking the three-team deal between the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz was a “hoax,” is reality beginning to sink in for James.
“It still pretty much didn’t seem real until I saw Luka today and I saw a clip of AD at the Dallas shootaround,” James stated following the game. “That’s when it finally hit me, like, ‘Oh s—, this is real.'”
The 22-year veteran clarified that his acceptance of the move was demonstrated by the fact that he was discussing it publicly for the first time in the Lakers locker room at Intuit Dome.
“If I had concerns about it, I’d waive my no-trade clause and get up out of here,” stated James. “I’m here at the moment. Right now, I’m here. My dedication to the Lakers organization is unwavering.
“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 [for the new acquisitions].”
James described his late-night dinner after the Lakers’ victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday, when he first learned that the Lakers were trading Davis, Max Christie, and Jalen Hood-Schifino, as well as a future first-round pick, for Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris.
My emotions were all over the place, obviously,” he added. “We had just come off a great victory. A big win in the Garden. I was out. I mean, you’ve seen the report. I was out with my family for supper when I heard the news, and the first time I heard it, I felt it was definitely bogus. I assumed it was a scam, or that people were just joking about. But then AD contacted me, AD FaceTimed me, and I chatted to him for a long time, and even when I got off the phone with him, it didn’t feel real.”
When asked about the video conference with Davis, James replied, “It was absolutely a weird, awkward, truth moment for us. Knowing that he was going to be gone was extremely difficult. Very challenging. I can clearly see how shocked he was. And he undoubtedly noticed it on my face as well.”
James said the extraordinary move originally caught him off guard — it was the first time in history two current All-NBA players were traded for one another midseason — but that he could see the reason for the Lakers.
“It was shocking when I heard the news, but at the end of the day, I understand the business of basketball,” said the coach. “But I didn’t make the decision.”
James’ chemistry with Davis was evident from the start, as they won the championship together in their first season in 2019-20.
While some have indicated a redundancy in positional responsibilities between him and Doncic, James dismissed the idea.
“We can be whatever we want to be,” James stated. “It will not take long. I can play with anyone, and I believe he can, as well. So, we’ll do well together.”
Tyronn Lue of the Clippers, James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, agreed.
“I don’t see it’s going to be a problem at all,” Lue reported. “[Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] will do a nice job of staggering those guys, similar to how we did with Kyrie [Irving] and LeBron for three quarters before closing games together.
“It’s a not a tough problem to have.”
The Lakers are currently generating issues for opponents, having won nine of their last 11 games to move one game behind the No. 4 Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference rankings. And that surge will soon include the 25-year-old powerhouse Doncic, with sources telling ESPN that Doncic is “trending towards” making his Lakers debut on Saturday against the visiting Indiana Pacers.
“Luka’s been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now,” he remarked. “I believe you already know that. And I’ve always tried to play the game correctly and encourage future generations. And Luka is one of them. And now we are teammates. So, it will be a pretty smooth transition.”
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