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Luka Doncic has never met a microphone he liked. Yet when Lakers staffers approached the star guard a few days before the Lakers dominated their season opener against the Golden State Warriors to ask him if he wanted to address the crowd, Doncic didn’t just agree to the task.
“Of course,” he said afterward.
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Standing at the center of the home court under a spotlight, Doncic welcomed Laker Nation to a new season, one he promised would be special. In a nervy, shy, 15-second speech, Doncic also unofficially introduced a new era of himself.
This prodigy once known as the “Wonder Boy” is all grown up.
“It’s a more refined Luka,” Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean said. “He’s the same person and he still is leading with joy and that is something that he loves to do, but it’s something that is continuing to grow and understand that the Lakers leadership might be a little different than the Mavericks leadership and the 27-year-old Luka might lead a little different than the 23-year-old.”
A more mature Doncic steps into the Lakers spotlight during a transitional period for the franchise. After an amicable, but necessary split with LeBron James, who has taken his talents to Philadelphia, the Lakers are entirely Doncic’s team.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots a patented step-back midrange shot over Warriors center Al Horford (20) and forward Yaxel Lendeborg (1) during the first half of their season-opening game on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Doncic is adamant to remind anyone who asks that this is not the first time he’s been entrusted with the stewardship of a team. Don’t forget he was the youngest player in Real Madrid history to make his senior team debut.
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Still only a teenager whose magical passes screamed louder than any of his two-word interview answers ever could, Doncic didn’t say a word with Real Madrid, his longtime Spanish agent Quique Villalobos said.
Instead, Doncic led by competing “like an animal” on the court. Teammates, some more than a decade older, followed that example to a EuroLeague championship in 2018. At 19, he was the youngest-ever…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lakers-luka-doncic-went-wonder-110000798.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-23 11:00:00
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