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Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the LA Clippers.
Luka Dončić is getting his legs back and is getting more comfortable each passing game with his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Tuesday, March 4, he had his third 30-point game as a Laker. The Slovenian star dropped 30 points and matched his season-high 15 assists with eight rebounds, a steal and a block as the Lakers extended their winning streak to seven with a 136-115 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Despite another superb game, Dončić isn’t resting on his laurels. He’s critical of himself and knew exactly what he had to do to become a much better offensive force for the Lakers.
“I got to drive more,” Dončić told reporters after the win. “I’m still getting in that rhythm but at the end of the day, it’s about winning games and we’re doing that now but we can’t relax at all.”
While the Lakers have rolled out the red carpet to make their newest face of the franchise get comfortable as quickly as possible, there are some things they could not control.
Like the horrendous Los Angeles traffic jam, which Dončić has singled out as the only dampener to what has been a welcoming Hollywood experience.
“Off court [stuff] for me is not as important but it’s close,” he told reporters. “If things are good off the court, then you proceed to be great on the court. You don’t have things to think about. I’m just getting to know the city. I got to say traffic is crazy, but other than that it’s amazing.”
Lakers’ Hollywood Star Treatment Winning Luka’s Heart
Doncic is no longer as shell shocked as he was in his initial games. He’s enjoying the adulation he’s getting from the Lakers fans and he’s reciprocated the love by giving them what they want — win games.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Dončić is loving the star treatment from the Lakers and their fan base, which is good news when it comes to his long term future with the team.
“I think he’s loving his time in LA, I think he’s loving how the stars are being treated like stars,” Charania said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, March 4. “It’s Hollywood. It’s making the star players bigger than life, and that’s what we’re going to see with Luka.”
Dončić, who just turned 26, could sign up to four years worth $229 million beginning on August 2. He has one more guaranteed year plus a $48.97 million player option for 2026-27 on his current contract.
Dončić is quickly regaining his All-NBA form, averaging 22.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists through his first nine games with the Lakers coming off a calf injury that sidelined him for 22 games in Dallas before his shocking trade.
Luka Assisted LeBron’s 50K Scoring Milestone
Aside from the Hollywood star treatment, Dončić is also enjoying playing with his hero, LeBron James.
One of Dončić’s 15 assists led to a James reaching the 50,000 scoring milestone which is unprecedented and could stand the test of time.
“It’s amazing, watching him do this stuff at this age,” Dončić said of the 40-year-old James. “It’s just unbelievable, that 50K points. I can’t even explain how insane that is. He might get to 70K. You never know.”
James entered the game with 49,999 combined points for his career in the regular season and playoffs. He reached the milestone on his first shot — a 3-pointer from the left wing off a Dončić assist that gave the Lakers a 13-6 lead with 8:34 remaining in the opening quarter.
James finished with 34 points, eight rebounds and six assists with two blocks and one steal.
The Lakers’ new star duo have generated 104 of the Lakers’ 136 points with their combined 64 points and 21 assists, eight of them led to 3-pointers.