The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a chance on a pairing that has all of the potential to deliver an 18th championship. Reigning scoring champion Luka Doncic has been brought in to become the new face of the franchise, and will spend his first season in Los Angeles alongside four-time MVP LeBron James.
The question facing Doncic and James is one that could ultimately define their partnership: Can they learn how to coexist?
Doncic and James have only played three games together, and were paired via one of the most shocking trades in NBA history. As such, it's far too soon to come to any grand conclusions about whether or not they'll be able to coexist.
What can be said, however, is that the early stages of their partnership have revealed the inevitable hurdle they were destined to encounter.
Los Angeles learned it the hard way during a disappointing 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Rather than playing through their new franchise player, the Lakers opted to work through James—a logical thought given who the more in-form player was, but a decision that ultimately resulted in a loss nonetheless.
Many have come to question if Doncic and James will be able to strike an ideal balance late in games, but history suggests they'll find an answer.
LeBron James, Luka Doncic have been down this road before
It's never easy for ball-dominant teammates to figure out each other's tendencies and make the necessary sacrifices. It's what's required in situations like this, however, for teams to become less of a collection of talent and more of a cohesive unit.
The harsh reality is that the Lakers acquired Doncic to replace James rather than complement him, but their ability to play off of one another remains essential to the team's short-term plans.
Thankfully, both Doncic and James have been in this situation before. Not only have they managed to find an ideal path forward, but they've achieved a great deal of success under similar circumstances—including multiple deep playoff runs.
That begins with James, who won four championships while sharing the ball with high-volume scorers such as Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Dwyane Wade.
Doncic may not have an NBA title yet, but he's achieved a great deal himself. He reached the 2022 Western Conference Finals alongside Jalen Brunson and led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals while playing with Irving.
In both of those situations, Doncic had to share the ball with a player who created consistently for themselves and others.
Considering their past success, it's hard not to be optimistic about what Doncic and James could accomplish as teammates. They're both dynamic scoring threats, as well as two of the most gifted passers in NBA history.
There's no way to guarantee that Doncic and James will find their chemistry, but the upside of this pairing is nothing short of dynamic.