Lakers fans ran the gamut of emotions ever since the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Luka Doncic at last season’s NBA trade deadline. From initial excitement about how Doncic would fit alongside LeBron James, to the elation when the star pairing looked phenomenal, fans had their moments to celebrate. But then the team was also lacking in some areas that even those two superstars couldn’t compensate for.
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The biggest missing link was that they did not have a center since they had traded Anthony Davis away. LA’s season ended on a whimper in a first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But it was clear Luka’s arrival had heralded a new era of Lakers basketball.
Their fans did have to worry just a little bit since he hadn’t yet signed an extension. Those fears are gone now because Luka finally did put pen to paper on a three-year, $165 million extension this past weekend. The Luka Doncic era can now officially begin. And Rachel Nichols pointed out why she thinks it’s off to such a good start
“I liked a few things about it,” Nichols said on Sports Illustrated’s Open Floor podcast on Wednesday. “First of all, the fact that it was so clearly choreographed and planned. They did go to that Backstreet Boys concert that night later with both owners [the transition from Jeanie Buss to Mark Walters], and several of their teammates and JJ Redick.”
“That stuff does not come together at a moment’s notice,” Nichols added. “So clearly, this was telegraphed quite some time before, and that tells you just how solid the relationship between the franchise and Luka is, which is pretty cool for a guy who clearly had some problems with his relationship with his last franchise.”
Nichols downplayed the consternation over LeBron and Bronny James not being present at Doncic’s press conference. Most people have been channeling the Backstreet Boys and demanding that the James clan tell them why they were on vacation and not in LA. But Nichols doesn’t see it as a big deal.
“I tweeted something saying, ‘So much of the Lakers roster is here,’ and people took that as a shot at LeBron or Austin Reaves. It wasn’t. It was the point that, in the summer, it is very hard to get that many guys on a team there,” Nichols explained.
“It was unusual, and so seeing that was very interesting to me too, just that so many of those other players made the point of being in town and at the facility,” she continued. “I thought that really spoke in a positive way to where [Doncic] is with his teammates and this team.”
Nichols also noticed a small detail from Luka’s press conference that she believes speaks volumes to the full reciprocal commitment between Luka and the Lakers. “In the actual photos of him actually signing the contract,” she said, “there was a video board, and it said ‘the beginning’ in Slovenian.” Turns out it was typeset in English as well.
Nichols credited The Athletic’s Dan Woike for informing her that Luka’s management was responsible for that message. She added that it suggests that this partnership is getting off on the right foot.
“The fact that his idea of this is that it’s the beginning of something, and he talked in the presser too about that, I thought was just an interesting peek into his mindset,” said Nichols.
Though things appear to be a bit touch-and-go with LeBron right now, there’s still an expectation that he will be there this year. In addition, the Lakers have brought in Deandre Ayton to fill their void at center and Marcus Smart to instill a more physical defensive mindset.
With Luka now extended, Lakers fans do have to feel like this is the beginning of something good.
