Luka Doncic Makes Laker Debut

Until he stepped on the court donning a Lakers uniform, it didn’t feel real — but the reality is, Luka Doncic is a Los Angeles Laker.

On Monday night, Doncic suited up in Purple and Gold for the first time. It was also Doncic’s first appearance since Christmas Day when he suffered an injury to his calf. Playing alongside LeBron James, Doncic eased into the action early on against the Utah Jazz.

Following an electric introduction which featured Doncic being the last member of the starting five announced, the five-time All-Pro got on the stat sheet with an alley-oop to Jaxson Hayes 50 seconds into the game.

“He came out … and obviously the place went crazy,” Austin Reaves said. “It was awesome. I thought the energy from that point forward was great. His introduction in the starting lineup was one of the loudest I’ve heard since I’ve been here.”

With former teammate and Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki in attendance, Doncic struggled to find his range from beyond the arc. However, despite finishing 1-of-7 from three, Doncic’s impact was felt throughout the game. Los Angeles’ newest star finished the contest with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes.

“I was a little bit nervous before,” Doncic said. “I don’t remember the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court, it was fun. And just being out there again felt amazing.”

Prior to tip-off, James could be heard speaking to his new star teammate in the huddle:

“Luka, be your f—ing self,” James said, picked up by the ESPN telecast. “Don’t fit in, fit the f— out. Be yourself.”

The new-look Lakers had no trouble securing a win in Doncic’s debut. Los Angeles led by as many as 34 points and had seven players score double-figures. In addition to Doncic’s 14 points, James scored a team-high 24, with Austin Reaves (22) and Rui Hachimura (21) also cracking 20 points. Among those impressed with the offensive showing was Lakers coach JJ Redick.

“I thought our three main guys (James, Doncic, and Reaves) did a nice job of playing off of each other,” Redick said. “Sometimes you can have agendas in a game. I felt like this for our group was a no agenda game beyond winning a basketball game and playing the right way.”

More than a week after the shocking trade that landed Doncic in Los Angeles, the star had finally experienced his first taste of being a Laker.

“Since I came here, I just wanted to play with them,” said Doncic. “Every game I saw, they played amazing, very connected, and for me, it was just I want to be there with them…It’s a new team. New everything. But the way they helped me, teammates, Rob, [Lakers chief executive officer and governor Jeanie [Buss], it was just a lot of support for me. You could see when I came to the arena, I saw all the Luka jerseys. It was just a surreal feeling.”