Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is in the midst of one of the most extraordinary stretches of his already illustrious NBA career. He's reached new levels of efficiency in 2026 and is now scoring with even greater volume than even he's accustomed to.
In the process, Doncic has provided Lakers fans with a callback to memories they undoubtedly cherish by scoring at a level only Kobe Bryant has reached over the past 14 years.
Luka Doncic has averaged 37.8 PPG in his last six games, the most by a Lakers player in a 6-game span within a season since Kobe Bryant in 2011-12 (39.5) 🪄 🐍 pic.twitter.com/eom3aR50Iv
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 17, 2026
Bryant reached those incredible numbers between Jan. 6 and Jan. 14 of the 2011-12 season. He dropped 39 points and seven assists during a 97-90 win over the Golden State Warriors, and followed the effort with 26 points and nine assists in a 90-82 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Despite how remarkable Bryant already was in low-scoring battles, the next four games saw him somehow take his game to another level.
Bryant dropped four straight 40-point games, starting with a 48-point eruption in a 99-83 win over the Phoenix Suns. He then tallied 40 in a 90-87 win over the Utah Jazz, 42 in a 97-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and 42 in a 102-94 loss to the LA Clippers.
14 years later, Doncic is the dominant scorer the Lakers have missed since Bryant's extended prime. It's no coincidence that he has the Lakers in fine form with a 6-0 record during his own hot streak.
Luka has highest six-game scoring average by a Laker since Kobe in 2012
Doncic's six-game streak began when he posted 44 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in a 128-117 win over the Indiana Pacers. He followed the effort with 35 points and eight assists during a signature 110-97 victory against the New York Knicks.
Two days later, Doncic dropped 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 120-106 win over a potential first-round playoff opponent in the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Two days after his magical triple-double, Doncic went off for his finest showing yet with 51 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in a 142-130 win over the Chicago Bulls. It was his first 50-point game as a member of the Lakers and just the second by a Lakers guard since Bryant's retirement game in 2016.
Doncic then tallied 30 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 127-125 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets, and finished the effort with 36 points in a 100-92 victory over the Houston Rockets.
Luka on pace to be Lakers' first scoring champion since Kobe in 2007
Considering four of the Lakers' wins were against teams on pace to make the playoffs, their 6-0 record is impossible to overlook. From a team success perspective, it's been perhaps the most important stretch of the 2025-26 season thus far.
From an individual perspective, however, Doncic is simply elevating the elite quality of play he's already established.
Doncic is on pace to win a second career scoring title that would make him the Lakers' first scoring champion since Bryant in 2006-07. His 32.9 points per game would also be the most by a Lakers player since Bryant averaged an absurd 35.4 in 2005-06.
Compounded by the fact that Doncic is shooting the lights out at a clip of .486/.396/.751 since Jan. 1, this is a run unlike any a Lakers player has managed since Bryant nearly 15 years ago.