The Los Angeles Lakers have officially introduced Luka Doncic as the new face of the franchise. It's an extraordinary burden that few are equipped to handle, but those who have embraced the challenge have carved out unfathomable legacies by delivering.
It took less than a half an hour for Doncic to be asked if he's ready for the biggest spotlight of his career—and for him to take accountability in the most crucial of areas.
Doncic is already one of the best players of the 21st century, piecing together a résumé that includes five All-NBA First Team selections and a trip to the NBA Finals. The pressure of playing for the Lakers is second to none, however, primarily due to the unparalleled expectations.
During his introductory press conference, Doncic made it clear that he understands exactly what's expected of him as a Laker: Winning a championship.
"You don't come here for nothing else here but championships. I have everything else to prove. I've always dreamed of a championship."
Doncic was later asked about his defensive flaws and his commitment to improving in that well-documented area of weakness:
"I think this year, I really stepped it up, honestly. It's just being more active, more vocal. I think I did a step ahead this year, but I need to do more steps ahead, so that's what I'm planning."
If there's any player who hasn't yet won a championship who's equipped to thrive with the Lakers, it's most certainly Doncic.
Luka Doncic putting in the work on defense so Lakers can win it all
Doncic has been playing in the spotlight since he was a teenager. He won his first of two Liga ACB Best Young Player awards mere months after turning 18, secured Liga ACB MVP honors at 19, and captured a EuroLeague championship and MVP award at the same age.
Doncic also co-starred alongside former All-NBA honoree Goran Dragic to help Slovenia become the smallest country to win a EuroBasket gold medal when he was just 18 years of age.
Doncic hasn't slowed down since coming to the NBA, securing Rookie of the Year honors at 20 and his first All-NBA First Team appearance at 21. Still just 25 years of age, he's also added a scoring title and three seasons in the top five of MVP voting to his absurd collection of feats.
Compounded by the aforementioned NBA Finals appearance in 2024 and another deep run to the 2022 Western Conference Finals, Doncic has done just about everything but win a title.
In Los Angeles, the pressure will now exist on the 25-year-old to win it all. One of the biggest challenges in that regard will be a necessary improvement on defense, which he's right to claim he's in the process of achieving.
Thus far in 2024-25, Doncic is averaging a career-best 2.0 steals per game and is forcing opponents to shoot 0.7 percent worse average when he's the primary defender.
If that trend holds, then the Lakers will have every opportunity to win a championship with Doncic as their franchise player. He's made deep playoff runs with two different co-stars in Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving, and will now begin his career in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James.
There are holes in the roster that must be addressed, but the Lakers are in good hands with a determined Doncic as their floor general.