LeBron James joined the NBA world in congratulating Luka Doncic when news of his new contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers broke. Doncic, who signed a three-year, $165 million deal on Saturday, sent a clear message that the team is committed to developing a championship-caliber roster around him. If James has his way, Doncic will be with the Lakers for the long haul. He pointed to their strong chemistry they’ve developed over the five years they’ve played together on the court.
The Lakers made a dramatic turnaround post-February trade deadline after acquiring Doncic from Doncic in the mid-season trade. The team went on to an equally impressive 16-7 record in regular season. They did this even without playing 16 total games with Doncic. Back in June, LeBron James made the surprising announcement that he would remain with the team for the final year of his gargantuan $52.6 million dollar contract. He’s been the loudest advocate for bringing Doncic onto the roster. He told ESPN on April 30 that he wishes for Doncic to remain with the franchise well into the future.
Immediately after signing the contract extension, LeBron James hopped on a video call with Doncic. He told me that he wished to offer his most sincere congratulations. Immediately after the trade went through, James’s phone lit up with leads on Doncic. This beautiful flurry of communication goes to show their unshakable friendship away from the court.
“Luka has been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now,” – LeBron James.
James’s longtime agent Rich Paul dropped some comments this week that set the basketball world abuzz at the prospect of James potentially leaving the team. Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka has calmed the panic. Our interactions between James’s camp and the [national] organization have been cordially professional and friendly. He stated, “All the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, Rich in particular, have been positive and supportive.”
Pelinka further suggested that the franchise honors what James wants for the trajectory of his career going forward. “I think the number one thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s going to play,” he said. This mood lends credence to Paul’s assertion. Certainly not LeBron, who’s adamant that he and the Lakers are going all in to win a fifth championship— the Lakers’ brass priority No.
Though LeBron was not present at the introductory press conference that officially welcomed Doncic to the Mavs’ trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, the King’s support of his young foe runs deep. His faith in Doncic, as ever, is unshakeable, even across an ocean. Pelinka stressed their dedication to working with James on future moves as he decides how to proceed with his career in Los Angeles. This method builds the spirit of collaboration across the organization.
“The dialogue with [Paul] has been open and constant,” – Rob Pelinka.
His excitement over Doncic has been apparent since he signed on to play with the Lakers. Both players are now locked up long term with the organization. The Los Angeles Lakers can’t wait to roster their future around this promising duo.
Leave a Reply