One of the NBA’s biggest stars over the last five years, Luka Doncic has put up insane stat lines without a ring to show for it, which is a pretty common trend in the NBA. James Harden is a player who comes to mind when thinking of legends whose careers have not yielded a championship. But can Doncic carve out a different legacy, or will he continue to be great without silverware?
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The closest Doncic has come to winning a title was a trip to the Finals in 2024 with the Mavericks, which ended in a demolition at the hands of the Boston Celtics. Now with the Lakers and LeBron James by his side, Doncic has a better chance than ever before, at least on paper.
Rich Paul, James’ agent, does not necessarily feel that Doncic’s stint in Los Angeles will end with a ring. He debated the same with Max Kellerman on the latest edition of their Game Over podcast, where Kellerman compared Doncic to Harden.
Kellerman even referred to Doncic as Harden 2.0. Paul was not a big fan of the comparison and challenged Kellerman to take a look back.
“If you’re saying Luka is James Harden 2.0. You know what I would do? I would go back and look at how the teams were constructed around James Harden. And I would look at my current team,” stated the Klutch Sports CEO, who then made a bold claim about what would have happened if Harden played alongside The King.
“I can almost guarantee you, there was no LeBron James on that team with James Harden because if there was he would have three rings. I can guarantee you that,” Paul declared.
Rich Paul believes James Harden would’ve had 3 rings if he played with LeBron
“If you’re saying Luka is James Harden 2.0.
You know what I would do? I would go back and look at how the teams were constructed around James Harden. I can almost guarantee you, there was no LeBron… pic.twitter.com/OlZbitCy7c— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 7, 2026
It’s a fun thing to make a hypothetical about. You never know what combination will work in the NBA. It’s not all about just having a team of superstars. It’s about chemistry, and how well they mesh on the hardwood.
“I don’t know if there was a player as good as Austin Reaves has become also with James Harden,” added Paul.
Kellerman brought up Harden’s time on the Thunder with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, as well as Chris Paul on the Rockets. And while those were strong points, Paul specified that those were never franchise-changing players.
“The only thing he didn’t have was a bona fide franchise guy that was on an equal playing field as he was. But he also ran up against (The Warriors),” Paul said moments later. Ain’t that the truth. The Rockets were so close to knocking off the Durant-Curry version of the Dubs, only to lose in Game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals.
The Luka/Harden comparison feels pretty lazy. Sure, they both dominate the ball and put up crazy numbers, but Luka’s situation in LA is totally different. Playing next to LeBron with a roster that actually fits him gives Luka a real chance to shed that “great stats, playoff doubts” label.
Whether it ends with a ring is still up in the air, but calling this Harden 2.0 already feels way too early. This season might finally show what Luka looks like when he doesn’t have to carry everything himself. As always, only time will tell.
