LeBron, Luka, and the Lakers’ Latest Playoff Letdown

The LeBron James–Luka Doncic experiment was supposed to be electric. It ended with a quiet thud.

After just one playoff series together, the star-studded pairing is heading home, with Los Angeles eliminated in five games by a hungrier, deeper Minnesota Timberwolves squad.

James, 40, and Doncic, 26, combined for 50 points in Game 5 but never quite looked in sync — flashes of brilliance, yes, but far from the superteam dominance Lakers brass envisioned when they swung big at the trade deadline.

The move to acquire Doncic from Dallas sent shockwaves through the league. Two generational talents. One historic franchise. A title window cracked open — on paper. On the court? Not quite.

Since hoisting the trophy in the 2020 bubble, the Lakers have now failed to escape the first round in three of the last four years. Adding Doncic was supposed to change that outcome. Instead, it magnified the issues: aging legs, thin depth, and a team identity that never materialized.

Doncic’s numbers were there — 28 points, nine assists in Game 5, and plenty of highlight-reel moments throughout the series — but James no longer has the nightly takeover gear he once wore like a cape.

Now the questions come fast, starting with James and if he returns for a 22nd season. And do the Lakers have the assets to retool once again?

For now, the answer is clear: two all-time talents couldn’t make it work when it mattered most.