LeBron James Shares Message for Luka Doncic Amid Injury and Transition
Luka Doncic missed Thursday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers due to managing a left calf injury during the second leg of a back-to-back. LeBron James took charge, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 110-102 win. James scored 16 of his 40 points in the final quarter, and Austin Reaves contributed with 32 points and seven assists.
Doncic, who recently joined the Lakers through a trade, is recovering from a calf strain that sidelined him for six weeks since Christmas while he was with the Dallas Mavericks. Since his trade, he has averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over 26.7 minutes per game.
“Luka has been incredible since joining, in terms of his engagement and his ability to connect with him,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said about James. “LeBron is willing to sacrifice as much as anyone. He’s fully on board and has been that way for several months.”
In his first game post-All-Star break, Doncic played 33 minutes in a loss to the Charlotte Hornets, posting 14 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. However, he struggled with a 5-for-18 shooting performance and six turnovers. Doncic remained optimistic about his recovery and adjustment to the Lakers.
“It will take some time,” Doncic said. “There was a lot of rust today. I started with four or five turnovers. That can’t happen. I need to focus on playing the right way.”
After the Portland win, James discussed the process of integrating Doncic into the Lakers’ system. He acknowledged the adjustment required for a mid-season trade, with Doncic needing time to settle into the new team.
“It’s a process for the rest of the season,” James stated regarding Doncic’s integration. “We have to figure out our offensive and defensive systems, and calls, and cadence, while learning from Luka as well. He’s a remarkable talent, and we need to complement his game as much as he needs to adapt to ours.”
James emphasized that integrating Doncic is the Lakers’ top priority. Every practice, game, and film session is an opportunity to improve.
“We need to continue getting better every day, in every game, practice, shootaround, and film session,” James explained. “Luka is definitely our number one priority.”
The Lakers quickly move on to prepare for their next game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, followed by a key match-up on Tuesday against Doncic’s former team.
