Luka Opens Up About Leadership + Expectations | Lakers Media Day 2025

Hey Luka, ready to go? How are you guys? Good. Good. Good to see you. I missed you guys. It’s very nice. Luka, I asked Rob what he kind of picked up on going over to Poland to see a practice in a game and JJ as well. and he said just it was the leadership qualities that you had for your national team and kind of he’s excited to have you come now into this setting with the Lakers and just wonder now with everything happened this summer the extension you’re here uh how do you feel about that aspect of it you you know being a leader of this team and how that impacts your outlook as you go forward yeah honestly uh I think I had a great summer you know starting even right after the season starting my practices starting my workouts uh then obviously coming back here signing the extension uh having to go with the national team and now I’m here. So uh it all starts again uh with fresh mind. So I’m very excited about it. Luca at at the end of the the season in in Poland you’ kind of said you know this team didn’t really have time to ever practice together. What are the and the team was still pretty successful and won a lot of games. What are the ways you think this time in camp together, particularly with LeBron and with Austin, can the three of you guys optimize each other? I think just uh first of all, obviously talking about it, communicating is important. Uh but then just, you know, trying some stuff in practice. Obviously, we didn’t have time uh last season to go through and I think that’s why uh preseason is very important for me, for the team. uh just to kind of how do you say get to know everybody what what everybody likes and just you know in practice you can make a lot of mistakes. Uh so that’s why practices are. Uh so we’re going to have a lot of practices and I’m excited to figure out everybody. Yeah. Yeah. Luca over here. Jim Hill KL9 News. Congratulations and welcome. As you sit here and look at everyone here today, how excited does this make you to see everyone here coming to hear what you have to say about the upcoming season and welcoming you to the Lakers? Sorry, can you repeat? I I can’t hear you. How excited are you to see all of us here? Oh, I’m very excited. Yeah. Yeah. Are you guys? Yeah, I’m very excited. I can’t wait to do interviews. What is it about Los Angeles that that that has attracted you so much? because you know we know about the Lakers and everything but you know this is the city of stars and everything else and championships are expected here uh what are you saying like basketball-wise or yes basketball wise I mean I’m just excited to play for the Lakers you know I obviously said uh this is one of the best organizations in the world uh like I said you know it’s a first start for me uh getting through whole preseason uh I’m just excited to play for the Lakers thank you thank you Luca uh Brad Turner from LA Times. Um, what’s your leadership style like and how do you think that’s going to work out with this team? You say leadership, what’s your leadership style like and how you think that can work with this team? I mean, you know, like I said, when you get to the new team, you know, in the middle of a season, it’s kind of hard, uh, you know, to get everything together. Uh, but as I said before, you know, preseason is going to help me a lot with leadership, getting to know the guys. Uh, so, uh, through the practice, you know, uh, me and Jay-Z talk about it. uh a lot. So, uh we’re just going to have to work it out. Tina to win with the LA Times. Also, Luca, speaking to the leadership, how much more comfortable are you being a vocal leader or something stepping out of your leadership box a little bit now that you’ve been with this team and this organization for a few months? Oh, way more comfortable. Uh you know, like I said before, coming into new team, it’s kind of hard, you know, to get the the leadership up. Uh but that’s what preseason is for. Uh I had a great great run with my national team, you know, kind of work on that leadership role. Uh so I feel way more comfortable. [Music] Luca Kobe Price to your left. Kobe Price, SoCal News Group. Uh the last time we spoke with you in LA uh for after you signed the extension, uh we asked you about, you know, the changes to your physique, you know, nutrition, the changes you made. Um now that you were able to get on the court in Euro Basket, what differences did you feel physically um and during in Euro Basket compared to how you ended last season with the Lakers? Uh I would just say probably way less tired, you know, a little bit quicker like I said. Uh obviously in Europe there’s 40-minute game. Uh in NBA is 48. Uh but we play a lot of games in in not so many days. So I think uh fatigue, you know, fatigue is the biggest thing for me right now. Luca, uh Mark Medina, Athlon Sports and Sportska. With all the moves that the front office made this off season, what’s your expectations on how your new teammates can help things easier for you on the court? I mean, they can help a lot. I think we added some great pieces. Uh obviously, we have to go through preseason. Uh, but I’m very excited to play with those guys. Uh, you know, uh, with some guys I play against, you know, it was hard, so I’m glad they’re on my team now. Uh, so I’m very excited to get to get to know them, you know, personally and to play with them. Hey, Luke, uh, after the off season that you had, is this the best you’ve ever felt entering into a season? Maybe yes, maybe no. Uh, I don’t know yet, honestly. Uh, but I just know I’m very excited. Uh, I’m very ready and you know this season should be fun for us. Hey Luca, um, in the games you played in last year, you guys wanted a 52 win pace. You guys won 50 games with the number three seed. So obviously it was not the ending to the season that you wanted, but what do you feel like you guys showed that you can take moving forward in, you know, last season, especially between you, LeBron, and Austin? I think we show like we can play with anybody. Uh, you know, I think we had that one stretch uh that I felt like we played the best basketball in the NBA. Uh, so uh obviously we add some some new pieces to the team. Uh, so like I say, I’m very excited and I think we can do some big big things. Hey Luca, to your right here. Um, specifically on DeAndre Aton, just your thoughts on getting an opportunity to play with him, seeing how the playoffs obviously went through, uh, just having a dependable big man. Just your thoughts on pairing up with him. Yeah, I was very excited when they told me, you know, uh, we were trying to get DA. Uh, obviously we entered the draft together. I, you know, known him for a long time. Uh, so I’m very excited, uh, to have him on my team. Hi, Luca. Nikki K with Spectrum. Um, a lot was made of your physical transformation during the offseason, but did you make any adjustments mentally, emotionally when you think about your new home, your new team now that you’ve had an offseason to settle in? Um, you know, obviously it’s uh way easier now. Uh, obviously I went through a lot last year and it wasn’t easy to adjust. Uh, so like I said before, this is a fresh start. Uh, fresh mind for me. So, uh, you know, I’m in a better place for sure. Right. Maverick [Music] Okay. [Music] Okay. This thing. [Music] [Music] Greg Bechum with the AP. You only got 23 games in the regular season with LeBron together playoffs. Now that you’ve had you’re going to have a training camp, where specifically do you think you guys can improve as a partnership? I think just, you know, like I said before, going through practices, uh, it’s going to help us a lot. uh me, LeBron, and they are, you know, I think we’re the uh the leaders of this group and like us communicating, us practicing some things on the floor uh will help us a lot. Luca, what part of your game did you work on during the offseason? I didn’t work on anything specific. Uh, you know, I think for for me, uh, the most I learned is playing five on five, four on four, three on three. Uh, but I didn’t work on anything specific. You know, just get in better shape. Uh, that’s about it. Luca, the um, sorry, over here again. Um, the organization gave JJ a contract extension on they announced it on Thursday. What was it like working with JJ Reic? Um, and and I guess how do you feel about the stability here? um with your with your extension the ownership thing having happened um the kind of the the three to five year plan for this organization. Yeah, I think the stability is amazing. Uh you know uh it was great to work with JJ. Uh hopefully we can work till the end of my career. Uh you know I just I just love him as as my coach. You know he will tell you anything. He will tell you if you did something wrong, if you did something good. So uh just approach to the game with him uh it’s unbelievable. So, I’m very excited that he’s my coach.

Luka Dončić speaks to the media about his off-season, the new roster additions, and his leadership style.

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46 comments

  16. If we are healthy till the end we are winning the NBA , bro just think about it , which team in the nba has 2 top 10 players??? Yes we lack in defence but we are i think the best offensive team out there we have the potential, luka , lebron , austin , rui and ayton , Laravia is also a decent player

  35. Luka always with that fresh cut. Looking much happier than he did in his first Laker presser that's for sure.
    And wth is that question from the great Jim Hill? Go home, Jim.

  39. Wish he wasn't so stand offish with the media, they're just doing their jobs asking the questions us fans want to know, no need to be so politically correct all the time!

  41. I'm a neutral bystander. A Washington native whose team was stolen long ago, but that's another story… As a Luka fan, he is poised to become the face of basketball worldwide. He has the name: Wilt, Magic, Jordan, Shaq, Koby, LeBron, LUKA. He speaks the 2 languages that the entire West understands. He's already a Euro superstar. He's on the Lakers with the whole media machine behind him. He's a handsome and wholesome fellow. Oh, almost forgot to mention—he's an all-time talent with that dawg in him and as clutch as they come. I expect him to get over the hump for MVP and make a deep playoff run. I think his diet and health overall will be better supported in L.A. Just better culture for that on the West Coast as compared to the South. The team is good enough, for sure. He has LBJ for mentorship, as well as all the past Laker champs. My 2 cents. GO LUKA

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