Luka Doncic has been a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for almost three months now, after general manager Rob Pelinka secured a blockbuster deal with the Dallas Mavericks to land the 26-year-old Slovenian superstar. And in that time, Doncic has already made a huge impact on the Lakers franchise and the fans, making them instantly competitive in the championship race in 2025.
One of the reasons the Mavericks opted to move on from Doncic is they reportedly felt that he did not have the work ethic to lift a team to a championship, despite them being in the NBA Finals last season. It was one of many baffling sentiments coming out of the Mavericks organization in the wake of the trade.
And it’s why Pelinka’s comments about Luka before Game 2 of their first round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves have an extra meaning to them. The Lakers president of basketball operations spoke about Doncic and the many reasons why he’s loved what he’s seen so far, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“He’s an illusionist. He does things on the basketball court that you don’t think are real. So you’ve got to show up to see it. You might see an online video or you might hear a legendary story, but until you’re here in the building seeing it live, you’re like ‘How did he do that?’ So, I’ll tell you, he’s been a great leader, in the gym every day, work
