NBA
Lakers’ Luka Doncic wants to develop leadership skills in the preseason
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated1 hour ago on September 16, 2025
At the 2024-25 trade deadline, the Lakers and Mavericks made a shocking deal. Dallas parted ways with All-NBA PG Luka Doncic and traded him to Los Angeles.
When Luka Doncic was traded to the Lakers last season, LeBron James was the face of the franchise. In one offseason, the power has shifted toward the Slovenian PG. Doncic is 26 years old, and LeBron will turn 41 in December. It’s glaringly obvious that Luka Doncic will soon be the face of the franchise if he isn’t already. Recently, Doncic said he wants to develop leadership skills in the preseason for the Lakers.
Luka Doncic will one day have the Lakers’ franchise to himself
Luka Doncic’s EuroBasket 2025 heroics highlight his rise as a leader, and historically, his strong FIBA performances have carried over into impressive NBA seasons 👀
Why should the Lakers be excited after this EuroBasket? https://t.co/4CzFIkC29p pic.twitter.com/aTujOJGTPT
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) September 11, 2025
Ahead of the 2025-26 season, Lakers’ Luka Doncic was competing with Slovenia in EuroBasket 2025. This was the world’s first opportunity to see a new and improved Luka Doncic. It was not his skills on the court that changed, but rather what he did off the hardwood. Doncic dedicated himself to losing weight and being in the best shape of his life since entering the NBA in 2018-19.
The five-time all-star was dominant in EuroBasket for Slovenia. Doncic did everything he could to carry his team. However, Slovenia was eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals. At a press conference earlier this summer, Doncic commented on his leadership skills with Los Angeles. Doncic believes he will develop more leadership skills with the Lakers when the team practices again.
Welcome to the Luka Dončić Revenge Tourhttps://t.co/gpe8tbk9dW pic.twitter.com/ts69rnxgUr
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) September 16, 2025
Tuesday, September 30, is the first day of the Lakers’ training camp. That’s when Luka Doncic will meet up with his teammates. A chance for Doncic to become a leader from the jump. While LeBron is still on the roster, the front office is building the team around Doncic. This is his team, and Luka must take control from LeBron. Easier said than done, as James is one of the most polarizing figures in the NBA.
Luka specifically mentioned he’s had talks with Lakers’ GM Rob Pelinka about roster decisions. Los Angeles has a unique situation ahead in 2025-26. LeBron James is 40 years old and the all-time leading scorer in the NBA. He’s been the face of the Lakers’ franchise for the last seven seasons. James might be the team’s vocal leader in 2025-26, but Luka Doncic has a chance to lead by example on the court. How far can the duo of LeBron and Luka take the Los Angeles Lakers next season?
