LeBron James exemplified his ability as a leader in his pre-game huddle message to Luka Doncic before the Slovenian made his Los Angeles Lakers debut.
Luka Doncic is in the middle of his Los Angeles Lakers debut against the Utah Jazz, already making an impact on the game with his incredible offensive talent.
Before Doncic’s debut against the Jazz, LeBron James led the Lakers in the pre-game huddle. While doing that, he sent a clear message to Doncic about how he should play while wearing the Lakers uniform.
“Luka, be your f—ing self. Don’t fit in, fit the f— out. Be yourself. Here we go.”
"Luka, be your f—ing self. Don't fit in, fit the f— out."
-LeBron to Luka 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/qj8Tbk8M8R
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 11, 2025
Doncic was traded to the Lakers 10 days ago and is returning from an injury he sustained on Christmas while playing for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks bet that Doncic’s injury struggles this season were the start of a potential career-long trend in struggles to stay healthy due to his weight and poor conditioning.
He had five points, one rebound, and one assist on 2-3 shooting in the first quarter against the Jazz. He’s expected to be on a minutes restriction as he’s returning from his Christmas day calf injury. However, at least 20 to 25 minutes of Doncic on the court will be the expectation for most tonight.