Luka Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million contract with the LA Lakers just days ago, much to the elation of the fans. Doncic was traded by the Dallas Mavericks after being deemed unfit but has since transformed his physique into a leaner, meaner version. The Lakers faithful are hopeful that Doncic will be the answer to their problems, especially with LeBron James gradually closing the chapter on his NBA career. But who will play next to Doncic in the post-LeBron era?
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Rapper Ice Cube was asked that question on the Lakers Nation podcast. Host Ryan Ward was happy to provide the 21 Jump Street actor with some options.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are already being discussed to fill in the role that James has played since he moved to the City of Angels in 2018. For Cube, the answer is rather straightforward.
“I think I would take Giannis. I think [Doncic] would have too much fun with Jokic. They seem like they would have too much fun. So … sometimes you got to break up some of that fun because it doesn’t always spill on to the court. It spills off the court,” Cube explained.
Ward argued that the legendary Magic Johnson had a lot of fun with the Showtime guys. He and cohost Luca Rosano also noted that Magic even got something out of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar personality-wise.
Cube, however, stood his ground and asserted that “it was undercover fun. Now, there’s nothing that is undercover. Everything is on the camera, so … it’s not the same time.”
Doncic and Jokic are both Serbian, and they’ve been close friends for some time. At last year’s All-Star Game, they got up to some silly shenanigans. Megan Hall of USA Today Sports even chronicled seven times they “showed they were best friends,” like when they hugged before games, challenged each other to goofy jump shots, and pranked each other mid-interview.
Cube isn’t completely wrong. The pair does have a good time. They are both professionals at the top of their game, but Doncic has a lot to prove. Being traded by the Mavericks must have hurt, considering all the hype about how great a player he is going to be in the years ahead.
Now that he’s playing his first full season for the Lakers, Luka would want to make a statement, one the Mavericks front office can also read. To be fair to Cube, he might pair up better with Giannis than Jokic, but it’s not going to be because the Serbians share a close bond.
