During an interview with NBA reporter Dave McMenamin of ESPN, LeBron James said Luka Doncic “has to have the ball” for the Los Angeles Lakers to win the title.
LeBron, the leading scorer in NBA history, is willing to do whatever it takes to help Doncic feel comfortable with the Lakers.
“Just want him to be himself — when he gets back to himself,” LeBron told ESPN. “Obviously, he’s been out since Christmas and I think he told me or said it to us, that’s the most he’s ever been out since he started playing basketball — because of an injury. Obviously, it’s not going to happen overnight, but I believe that in order for us to ultimately be the team that we want to be with him here, he has to have the ball, he has to be able to put us all in position, he has to be him. The seven years that we’ve seen in the NBA with Luka, we want that Luka.
“So we all have to transform our game for the betterment of him, obviously. But it’s not going to happen overnight. We know that. But my message has been, ‘Just be you. You don’t have to confine [your game] to us. We need to figure it out with you.’ Whatever he needs, I’m here. So, whatever he needs.”
Doncic had his best game with the Lakers against the Denver Nuggets. He finished with 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals while shooting 10-of-22 from the field, 4-of-9 from beyond the arc and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.
One of the top players in the NBA, Doncic is averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists with the Lakers, who are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
LeBron (40) is the oldest player in the NBA. However, he’s still putting up elite numbers. The future Hall of Famer is averaging 24.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.8 assists.
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