The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst a new era. After eight years under LeBron James, the transition to a new chapter centered around Luka Doncic has officially begun. In 2026-27, there will be no question about whose team this is.
Luka is doing everything he can this offseason to show his teammates why they can follow his lead as this team's leader. The Lakers recently went on a trip to Luka’s home country of Slovenia to work out and build chemistry ahead of next season. After returning, Kevon Looney — who signed a one-year $3.9 million deal with LA this summer — had high praise for No. 77 during an interview with ESPN LA.
"He's a great player and a great leader. He likes to show what he can do on the court, and we got to see his personality off the court. So, it was great. We're going to follow him, run through a wall for him,” said Looney.
It's one thing to hear this from just some other player, but when a message like this comes from a veteran and player with Looney’s championship pedigree, it means more.
Kevon Looney’s early endorsement holds a ton of value
For those of you who need a reminder of Looney’s resume over his 10 years in the NBA, he’s a three-time NBA champion and one of the more important role players of the 2010s.
Looney did all the dirty work, set the majority of the screens that freed up Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson behind the arc in Golden State, and was an excellent rim protector and rebounder. While those days are behind him, coming off a season where he only played 21 games for the New Orleans Pelicans, his voice matters.
If Looney has truly bought into this being Luka’s show in the way his words suggest he has, other players will follow suit. Looney’s been around elite leaders like Curry and Draymond Green in his career; he knows what elite leadership from top players looks like, and he’s telling the world Luka has that.
Mind you, he’s also new here; it’s not like Looney has played with Luka before or been part of this Lakers team for a while. This is all new.
So for him to be so sure that Luka is a great leader, to say, “We're going to follow him, run through a wall for him,” holds real value.
We saw what Luka is capable of when the team around him bought into him as the leader back in 2024, when the Dallas Mavericks made the finals. Now he gets the chance to do the same thing in LA. With the backing of an experienced vet and winner like Looney, Luka is going to have the support system he needs to take LA back to the NBA’s mountaintop next season.
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