What happened
Luka Dončić enters his third season with the Lakers as the team’s clear leader, and he is set for a larger burden after LeBron James left for Philadelphia. Dončić said the challenge feels new but familiar, and he said he is ready for the season ahead.
He finished 2025-26 as the scoring champion at 33.5 points per game, his second career scoring title, and he arrives with a résumé that includes six All-NBA nods, six All-Star selections and Rookie of the Year. Los Angeles spent the offseason building around him, adding Walker Kè
This shapes the Lakers’ rotation and offensive hierarchy around Dončić as the focal point. The remaining question is how the new supporting pieces fit around him once the season starts.
Automated brief based on the linked report. Lineup context is analysis; official starting-five labels come separately from our game data provider.
Original reporting: Can Lakers' unquestioned star Luka Dončić step up to be face of NBA? — Yahoo Sports ↗