Lakers star Luka Doncic sends a powerful message to the NBA with bold statement.
The Los Angeles Lakers continued to uphold their legacy as the home of superstars in 2024-25. The latest addition to a long list of current and future Hall of Famers is Luka Doncic, who has come to Los Angeles with the expectation of stepping into the roles left by Kobe Bryant and teammate LeBron James.
Doncic has already showcased the Luka magic that made him a household name, yet he believes he is far from reaching his full potential.
Los Angeles acquired Doncic while he was still recovering from a calf injury that kept him sidelined from Dec. 27 until his debut with the Lakers on Feb. 10. Thus, it’s not entirely surprising that he feels he hasn’t yet reached his true potential.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Doncic praised his experience with the Lakers but admitted that he doesn’t think he’s had a single good game yet.
Considering the past three games would have been career highs for many players, that’s a chilling statement for the rest of the NBA to hear.
Luka Doncic says he hasn’t “had a good game” with Lakers yet Doncic sat out the second game of the Lakers’ back-to-back on Feb. 20, returning to action on Feb. 22. He posted 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and a block, leading Los Angeles to their first regular-season victory over the Denver Nuggets since 2022.
In his next game, Doncic contributed 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks in a revenge win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Although Doncic struggled with efficiency, he ended the Lakers’ Feb. 27 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. For those keeping track: he’s averaging 24.0 points, 12.7 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.0 block over the last three games.
Despite these impressive numbers, Doncic maintains that he hasn’t played a single good game for the Lakers yet—while most players would dream of performing at his level.
The truth behind Doncic’s statement is daunting—it’s based on his exceptionally high standards. He won the 2023-24 scoring title with an average of 33.9 points per game on .487/.382/.786 shooting and averaged 32.4 points per game the year before.
Given that he’s averaging just 19.3 points per game in his first six appearances with the Lakers, it’s understandable that someone of his caliber holds himself to such a high standard.
As Doncic becomes more settled in the rotation and recovers fully from his calf injury, his performance should improve. This is a scary thought, considering his already significant impact on the Lakers, especially as the team has surged to an NBA-best 16-4 record since Jan. 15.
However, when it comes to Hall of Fame-level superstars, even outstanding performances can fall short for their ideal expectations.