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Welcome to LA: Luka Doncic makes Lakers debut

Sara Jane Gamelli 93 February 11, 2025 No Comments

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Sara Jane Gamelli

It's official. The Luka Doncic era in Los Angeles has begun

(Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

Four days after the biggest NBA blockbuster trade in history, Luka Doncic finally made his highly anticipated debut with the Los Angeles Lakers. In front of a packed crowd, No. 77 didn't disappoint.

February 10 was a significant day for the Lakers franchise. Once again, Luka has set out on a journey to follow in the footsteps of legends like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, and more. It’s a historic moment in sports that will be remembered forever.

Now he gets to play alongside one of the best of all time, LeBron James.

"It's special", said Doncic in a post-game presser. "He [LeBron James] sees the game in a different way than a lot of people. His IQ is insane, and to have two guys like that on the court, I think it will help the whole team out."

Luka Doncic's Laker debut was highly awaited

Rolling up to Crypto.com Area, Doncic certainly dressed to impress. Donning a black suit with white kicks, cameras saw Doncic stroll down the hallway. At this moment, all of America finally realized Luke Doncic was an official member of the Los Angeles Lakers. While it still doesn't feel real, the basketball world has been awaiting this moment around the clock for days.

Inserted into the starting lineup alongside LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and Jaxson Hayes, Doncic was the last player to be introduced. With that, No. 77 Doncic t-shirts were seen covering every seat in the arena. Earning his first victory as a member of the Lakers, Los Angeles went on to defeat the Utah Jazz 132-113.

Although Doncic was placed on a minutes restriction by head coach JJ Reddick, 30 minutes is respectable, especially for a player who hasn't appeared in a game since Christmas. While Doncic didn't reach the 30 mark, No. 77 finished his Lakers debut with 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists. It was not his best shooting night. Luka shot 5-14 from the floor, including 1-7 from downtown.

Doncic drains a three for his first points as a Laker

Early on, we saw some possible jitters from Doncic, with LeBron directing traffic on the defensive side. In fact, within the first few minutes, Doncic was seen hustling for the rebounds and heavily contesting three-point shots. While Doncic saw some decent looks, the long shots simply weren't falling.

"I was a little nervous before. When was the last time I was nervous before a game? said Doncic post-game "(Bleacher Report). "Once I stepped on the court, it was fun. Being out there felt amazing."

High emotions and nervousness were expected, given that Doncic spent the first 6.5 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. Tagged as their franchise star, Doncic led Dallas to the 2023-2024 NBA Finals. While it's unclear the motivation for the historic trade, he's officially a member of the Lakers.

And, of course, with the basketball world looking on, Doncic drilled his first bucket as a Laker mid-way through the first quarter. In true Luka fashion, No. 77 notched a step-back three-pointer over Walker Kessler due to a mismatch. With several lob attempts to teammates, Doncic earned five quick points on 2-3 field goal shooting through seven first-quarter minutes.

The two-man game between Doncic and LeBron will be scary

Although Doncic started off playing more off-ball, the beauty is that the Lakers have several on-ball playmakers, especially with Doncic and LeBron James. LeBron and Austin Reaves stretched the lead to 45-29 early in the second quarter, and they took care of the heavy lifting. In fact, Doncic didn't check into the second quarter until the 7:44 mark.

Interesting as it sounds, when Doncic checked into the game, LeBron subbed out often. From running the floor a bit more, Doncic had such a unique ability to facilitate to the weak side of the ball. Every time Doncic shot the ball, the loud "oohs and ahhs" could be heard by the crowd.

With Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki in the house, Doncic didn't miss a beat. Primarily on-ball with LeBron on the bench, Doncic did what he does best. The automatic fade mid-range is his signature shot aside from the step-back three.

Clearly, his presence alone opened up opportunities for the Lakers and should continue to do so. Drawing significant attention opens up the floor even more for Los Angeles.

Closing out halftime with both LeBron and Doncic on the floor, the Lakers commanded a 72-47 lead. With that, we saw a glimpse of what the future holds between Doncic and James. Grabbing a rebound, Doncic passed a rebound outlet touchdown-type pass to LeBron at the end of the court.

Luka Doncic played 24 minutes in a blowout over the Jazz

With James and Doncic combining for 24 first-half points, Luka notched a respectable 11 points, three rebounds, and three assists at the half. +16 on the floor, his rustiness was quite noticeable. Shooting just 1-5 from three, Doncic closed out the first half 4-9 from the field. James finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and 8 assists.

And let's talk about the flow--by the second quarter, it was hard to tell this was Luka's debut. With fluid ball movement and pushing the pace in transition, Doncic was quick to nab LeBron on the quick outlet passes. For two ball-dominant players, it was quite the unselfish outing between the two.

With the Lakers up 93-69, Doncic's night ended with 2:33 left in the 3rd quarter. Playing nine minutes in the third quarter alone, there wasn't reason to risk injury with further play. While the third quarter was a tad shaky, Laker fans are in for a real treat. With Doncic expected to shake off the rust with time, the Lakers have some serious potential to make a deep playoff run.

Now that Luka's long-awaited debut is behind him, there should be increased minutes as he regains his health down the stretch. This is the first of many games on Doncic wearing the purple and gold. As we saw last night, the Lakers have the potential to be a scary team, especially with the combination of LeBron, Doncic, and Reaves.

Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator, and Manager for Ballislife Bets. She focuses on women's basketball and the NBA. Sara Jane resides in the Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Connecticut.

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