When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic, the expectation was that they would be building around one of the most well-rounded offensive players in the NBA. It hasn't taken long for Doncic to confirm that he's exactly who the Lakers expected him to be.
A dominant scorer, prolific playmaker, and productive rebounder, Doncic does a little bit of everything—and has thus earned the reputation of a triple-double machine.
At just 25 years of age, Doncic is already one of the most productive players in NBA history. That includes the fact that he ranks No. 7 all-time in career triple-doubles, with 80 notched as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.
As though it was written in the stars, Doncic notched his first triple-double as a Laker and the 81st of his career overall against none other than his former team.
That 3-pointer from LeBron gives Luka Doncic his first triple-double as a Laker: 17 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 26, 2025
Following in the footsteps of several legendary Lakers who became synonymous with the triple-double, this is likely to be the first of many to come for Doncic.
Luka Doncic records his first triple-double as a Laker against former team
The spotlight was squarely on Doncic during his first game against the team that shockingly traded him less than a month ago. He struggled to shoot the ball, but still managed to dominate the Mavericks in every phase of the game.
Doncic finished Los Angeles' 107-99 win over Dallas with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks.
It was a mesmerizing display of Doncic's versatility. It was also a powerful statement that he can dominate an outing even when his shot isn't falling, which is perhaps the most important attribute the Lakers stand to benefit from moving forward.
Doncic is, after all, the NBA's reigning scoring champion, having averaged a remarkable 33.9 points per game on .487/.382/.786 shooting in 2024-25.
Doncic is still far off the mark that Russell Westbrook set for the all-time lead in triple-doubles at 202, but his pace is nothing to scoff at. He's already just 41 shy of the 122 that LeBron James has produced and 57 away from tying Lakers great Magic Johnson at 138.
The fact that it's even within the realm of possibility that Doncic could catch James and Johnson is a testament to the statistical brilliance that he's already produced.
It's also worth noting that Doncic has recorded at least 10 triple-doubles in each of the past five seasons. He's at four during his injury-impeded 2024-25 campaign, and with 26 games remaining on the schedule, there's reason to believe he could go off and continue his streak.
Whether or not he does, it's poetic that the first triple-double of his Lakers career was against the team that gave up on him.