Gilbert Arenas’ Analytical Take On LeBron James-Luka Doncic Brings Forth An Astute Comparison To Kobe Bryant And Shaquille O’Neal

Aakash Nair | 04/03/2025
LeBron James and Luka Doncic(L), Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant(R)

With the Los Angeles Lakers enjoying a six game win streak, Gilbert Arenas is a happy customer. Seeing his longtime friend LeBron James paired with a superstar like Luka Doncic has made Agent Zero issue a warning to the league.

As Austin Reaves recovered from right calf soreness, it was the Doncic and James show on Sunday night. During the Purple and Gold’s 108-102 win over the LA Clippers, Crypto.com Arena was treated to some Luka magic from beyond the arc while LeBron left his mark with a classic chase down block.

Seeing the fruits of their partnership, Arenas couldn’t help but hark back to another legendary Lakers duo — Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. “This reminds me of Shaq and Kobe,” the three-time All-Star said on ‘Gil’s Arena’.

It wasn’t their three-peat that Gil was alluding to, but the nightmares they gave to opposing defenses. Hibachi believes that LeBron and Luka have the potential of creating an equally unstoppable offense under JJ Redick.

“Everybody’s gameplan was to double Shaq. And then Kobe became a God. Now it’s like ‘Oh s**t, what do we do now?’” Similarly, Arenas argued that teams will struggle to generate coverages to limit both #23 and #77.

“Everyone’s been used to doubling James, get him off the ball, make other plays. Now, they brung in Luka who, now, everyone actually has to double him. And if you’re doubling him, now, LeBron James is open on the weakside or get to play one-on-one,” Agent Zero explained.

Add  JJ Redick’s high IQ coaching to that deadly mix and it begins to make sense how the Lakers usurped the second seed from Denver.

Redick already has lineups in his mind that can maximize the pick-and-roll threat of Doncic, and once the gameplans are in place, it’s going to be very difficult for opposing defenses to slow down LA’s offense. In fact, Arenas is so confident about the roster that he’s already betting money on their postseason matchups.

The Nuggets no longer have the Lakers’ number, Arenas believes

LeBron’s last two postseasons ended at the hands of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Between the 2023 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 first round series, Denver won seven straight Playoff games against the Lakers.

The teams are currently 1-1 in their regular season series, but Redick once again proved his coaching chops during their matchup in February. The Lakers’ defense repeatedly collapsed on Nikola Jokic, cutting off his passing lanes and forcing the other Nuggets to generate their offense.

It led to a 23-point win in Denver, and fans like Gilbert Arenas view it as proof of concept. After losing 12 of their last 14 matchups to Jokic’s team, Arenas announced that the Purple and Gold now have the upper hand over their Mile High rivals.

“If the Denver Nuggets play the Lakers in the Playoffs, do not put your money on Denver,” the former Wizards guard stated. “I got $10,000 right now. If we play Denver, I’ll double it.”

Clearly, Agent Zero sees LeBron and Luka as the championship favorites out West. However, before we get to the postseason, Arenas’ claim will be put to the test as the Nuggets and Lakers are set to face off twice over the coming month.

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
Gilbert Arenas LeBron James Luka Doncic Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Aakash Nair

Aakash Nair

NBA journalist Aakash Nair has followed the game for nearly a decade. He believes that basketball today is just as alive during the off-season with podcasts, interviews, articles and YouTube videos constantly providing fans with new insights. Aakash closely follows the game of narratives, of who will have a breakout year and who might be on the slump. As a fan, he is interested in all the context and behind-the-scenes moves that go into making a championship contender. As a writer, he intends to bring that same context to the forefront.

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