Luka Doncic's instant reaction to playing with LeBron James: 'He's special'

02/11/2025 12:57 PM

LOS ANGELES – From the minute the ball tipped, one of the biggest questions on the minds of Los Angeles Lakers fans was how well new superstar Luka Doncic would fit in his debut alongside current superstar LeBron James.

Once the game was over, and the Lakers rolled to a 132-113 win, although Luka Doncic was on a minutes restriction, his fit alongside LeBron James in his debut was as seamless as it can be.

Following the game, Doncic spoke about what it was like to share the court as James' teammate for the first time.

"He's special, he sees the game in different ways than a lot of people," Doncic said. "His IQ is insane. Having two guys like that on the court, I think is going to help the whole team out."

If there was one play in the game that could sum up the debut of the Doncic and James duo, it was late in the first half, as the second quarter was winding down. Doncic rebounded the ball, saw James breaking down court, and immediately fired a pass that found its target; James for an easy bucket.

The play went viral, especially the look of joy on Doncic's face as he made the pass. In total, the duo combined for 34 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists.

The LeBron James, Luka Donic and Austin Reaves trio

In perhaps the biggest change of the night, during the Lakers pregame introductions, Doncic was announced last as opposed to James. A noticeable difference that Doncic later revealed that it was James who approached him first about a possible change.

While many outside voices wondered how James and Doncic would co-exist on the court, if game one is any indication, they're going to gel just fine.

The presence of both Doncic and James, as well as Austin Reaves, gives the Lakers a three-headed monster in terms of playmaking and ball-handling. It also gives the Lakers the ability to stagger minutes and keep each of them fresh.

Following the game, Reaves spoke about what the game felt like with all three of them on the court together.

"I just think it could be a thing of beauty. The way we can manipulate the game on the offensive end and get what we want every single posssession," Reaves said. "Luka is one of the best passers in the world. . .I think they were almost all lobs, if not all lobs. . .I think it's just the high-level IQ going along with the pieces that really fit. We can shoot the ball, pass the ball and really play the game the right way."

Reaves finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists. The Lakers' final game before the All-Star break is Wednesday on the road, also against the Jazz.

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