When Luka Doncic joined LeBron James at the Los Angeles Lakers, past greats such as Magic Johnson were happy that their franchise had brought in a superstar who could take the baton and continue their winning legacy.
In his first season with the Lakers, Doncic was instrumental in helping the franchise finish in the top 3 in the West for the first time since the 2020 COVID-shortened season. That time, the Lakers went on to win the bubble championship at the hands of James.
This time, there was some hope, particularly amongst Lakers fans, that this iteration of the team had the tools to take the fight to some of the best in the league. However, their first-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves exposed a lot of problems with the current squad.
That matchup also exposed how an opponent can manipulate Luka Doncic’s weakness into their strength. Soon, it became evident that the team needed to do a lot if they were to become competitive. When Magic Johnson appeared on ESPN’s Get Up, he decided to remind the Slovenian what the Lakers expect of him.
It’s great what you did in Dallas. But the difference is, in Los Angeles, we expect championships. And we expect our superstars to lead us to a championship. LeBron has already done that. Now we want Luka to do the same thing.
Magic Johnson said
.@MagicJohnson has a message for Luka Doncic 👀
"It's great what you did in Dallas. But the difference is, in Los Angeles, we expect championships. And we expect our superstars to lead us to a championship. LeBron has already done that. Now we want Luka to do the same thing." pic.twitter.com/SQocwLswnw— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 12, 2025
The Hall of Famer added that he was happy that head coach JJ Redick has instilled the need to be in championship conditioning. However, he wants the team, and especially Doncic, to figure out how to play better and lead them to a few championships.
Magic Johnson expects Lakers to build better roster around Luka Doncic
After placing much of the onus on Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson turned towards the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office. He acknowledged that the Minnesota Timberwolves exposed the current roster’s weakness, but added that GM Rob Pelinka has to fix it for them to be competitive.
We need a big man. I think we must improve the bench as well.
Magic Johnson said
The five-time NBA champion essentially outlined what he believes the core problems lie with the current Lakers’ roster. He also reiterated that Pelinka has to improve overall defense, along with adding faster and more athletic players.
Johnson reiterated that his former team has to play faster and be more aggressive if they are to take the fight to the best in the league. To win a title, they must first beat the rest, and for that, Johnson believes the team as a whole has to be better.
Luka Doncic working hard to shed weight
One of the major criticisms Luka Doncic faced over the past couple of seasons has been about his conditioning. Even if he overcame that to lead the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers expecting a championship means that conditioning is not enough.
Over the past few weeks, a lot of photographs of the Slovenian have been reaching social media. His workouts and possibly a new diet have had an impact, as he looks a lot slimmer than he did this past season.
Fans have been in awe at how the 26-year-old is taking his conditioning seriously and is putting in the work. He looks more muscular and has lost considerable heft in his efforts to be as fit as possible. It seems as if JJ Redick and the training staff’s instructions are being followed to the T.
