Heads turned when Rich Paul made comments before free agency about LeBron James wanting to be on a contender. Did the all-time great not consider the Los Angeles Lakers close to that position? If so, that is a massive disservice to who Luka Doncic is.
James has played with a ton of tremendous talents throughout his career. Dwyane Wade, Anthony Davis, and Kyrie Irving were all elite hoopers that served as excellent Robins to LeBron's Batman. Doncic is such a great player that the NBA's all-time leading scorer has shifted to the secondary role.
Granted, a big chunk of that also has to do with James' age and the current stage of his career. Still, Doncic is one of the best players in the world. That alone creates an opportunity to compete for a championship.
"The Lakers have a top-three NBA player in the kind of condition he's never been in his career," Zach Lowe said on his podcast. "That's the story. ... Shouldn't this really excite LeBron James? ... LeBron's talking about the Lakers like they're the [Charlotte] Hornets."
Luka Doncic makes the Lakers NBA title contenders all by himself
The latter part of Lowe's statement was a callback to the aforementioned message from James' agent. For those that somehow missed that story earlier in the offseason, it can be found here.
Luka's body transformation has inspired a lot of optimism towards the kind of improved player he can be in 2025-26. Just as a reminder once more, this is one of the best players on the planet. That is the starting point from which a boost is being anticipated.
Doncic is the same guy who was averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game in 2023-24 before the dedication that has been on display this offseason. The MVP finalist was the best player on a team who fought their way out of a brutal Western Conference in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
LUKA DONCIC COOKS RUDY GOBERT AND HITS A STEP BACK GAME WINNER 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/e9DGxFpIks
— Guru (@DrGuru_) May 25, 2024
Does James really need that much more to have hope for what 2025-26 can bring? Him and Doncic will easily head into the upcoming campaign as the best superstar duo in the entire NBA. That immediately gives the Lakers reason to believe in themselves.
The roster has improved too, and there is still extra wiggle room to add to those upgrades before the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
If James does not believe in the upside of the Lakers by now, it would be odd. Are they the odds-on favorites to win the NBA championship? Probably not. Are they well within striking distance? Without a doubt.