LeBron James sat at his locker, having just scored 30 points in 33 minutes to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Pelicans.
According to Sporting News, when the Los Angeles Lakers traded with the Dallas Mavericks to acquire Luka Doncic one year ago, it was clear the Lakers were getting ready to pass the franchise player torch from James to the young Slovenian star.
Over the summer, the Lakers added more to their investment by striking an extension with Doncic.
Many wondered how the future Hall of Famer, LeBron James, would handle having the high-usage star enter the picture. James made it clear on Tuesday night that Luka is the franchise player.
"Luka don't need to bend his game [for me],” James told reporters after Tuesday’s win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
“He's our 27-year-old franchise for this ballclub. He don't need to bend his game. It's up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out. We're just trying to be dynamic and work off of him. He's an unbelievable pick-and-roll player, unbelievable shotmaker, commands the defense, four eyes, sometimes six eyes on him. So it's up to us to put ourselves in the right position.”
Throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season, LeBron, Luka, and the Lakers have had plenty of highs and lows. Despite the questions that typically stem from the head coach JJ Redick’s frustration, the Lakers are still in good shape when it comes to the Western Conference playoff picture.
Tuesday’s win over the Pelicans puts the Lakers third in the Western Conference with a 23-11 record. They trail the San Antonio Spurs by one game, and place 5.5 games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
