Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic are entering their second season together, but there’s still much skepticism about whether their partnership can work.
One of their biggest and most vocal doubters in the media today is Austin Rivers, who believes that these two players are in different stages of their careers, which is why it’s hard for them to align.
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“I don’t like the fit with him and Luka. LeBron still wants this to be his show. Luka’s just too good for a guy for it not to be his show. It worked with Kyrie. Kyrie accepted Luka as the best player. He was the Batman to his Robin. Who is the Robin in this situation? Now LeBron is a strategic mastermind and will come out and say that ‘I am,'” said Rivers via “The off guard Podcast.”
Austin thinks Bron is lying
Rivers’ reason is valid considering that James and his camp have made it seem like they’re no longer the Lakers’ priority over the last few months. This narrative started after The King decided to opt into his contract last June instead of signing an extension that the team reportedly didn’t offer him this summer.
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In addition, James also made it clear that it wasn’t his duty to convince Doncic to sign an extension with the team, raising many eyebrows.
Based on his behavior and quotes lately, it’s not hard to assume that he’s having difficulty accepting that he’s no longer the face of the franchise. For Austin, this is a sign that LeBron isn’t exactly on board with handing the keys to Luka to be the main driver of the offense.
“We both know that’s not true, Bron. I don’t blame him. I used to get mad at James Harden for not passing me the ball and I averaged eight points. I can only imagine if I was the all-time leading scorer in basketball history, I’d probably be like, get out of the way and he’s arguably the greatest player ever to ever touch a basketball,” said Rivers.
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In their first season together, James and Doncic found a way to coexist by staying true to their playing style without trying to overstep one another. LBJ sacrificed more by handling the ball less and playing along with the system led by Slovenian to accommodate the latter.
They had a record of 16-7 when they shared the court together during the regular season, with the team winning 16 out of 23 of its games. The duo’s performance in the regular season obviously didn’t translate to the playoffs.
Still, they had their fair share of valid reasons. For one, the Minnesota Timberwolves were just a tough matchup for the Lakers. Second, the duo didn’t have the right supporting cast around them.
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That’s why it will be interesting to witness how LeBron and Luka improve together this coming season with a more improved team. With more opportunity to build reps and chemistry, the two have the chance to put together a better campaign. However, the question remains is how they will continue to figure out their fit and whether or not LBJ is willing to be Robin.
Unprecedented times for LeBron
Another reason Rivers doesn’t think James will be able to take a backseat for Doncic is that he’s never had to do it in his career. In all the teams he won a championship with, James was always the focal point of the offense and for him to be Doncic’s Robin this late in his career might be a tough ask.
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Rivers doesn’t think the 40-year-old superstar can still adjust his game so that he can be the secondary point of focus for the team’s offense.
“At this point in year 22? 23? Whatever it is and Luka entering his prime, I think it’s pivotal that Luka has a running mate that knows how to play with him,” Rivers said.
But then again, James has done the unimaginable before by coming back from a 3-1 NBA Finals series deficit and is the only all-time great to defeat his battle with father time. What’s to stop The King from conquering another challenge? It will be fascinating to see whether or not James can prove Rivers and the rest of the Lakers’ doubters wrong this coming season.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.