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El Segundo, Calif. – Although Luka Doncic has always loved the ocean, he had never lived in a coastal city until this year. Ljubljana, Slovenia; Madrid; and Dallas are all fine stopovers on the journey of a transcendent basketball player, but they’re not exactly near the beach.
A water view is not the biggest reason Doncic is embracing his new life with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the past year has reminded him to enjoy every opportunity when he gets it.
Over the summer, he reportedly bought a $25 million Manhattan Beach mansion that used to belong to tennis star Maria Sharapova. Doncic says he mostly stays home with his fiancee and daughter when he isn’t working – and now he has a home on the edge of the sparkling Pacific.
“The ocean is my favorite thing, and the beach,” he said during training camp. “I’m a big water guy. Everywhere I played, I never got to experience the ocean, so now it’s great.”
The past nine months of upheaval in Doncic’s life have left the Slovenian superstar unbothered, but also refocused on the things that are most important to him – and basketball is still atop that list.
“I think I had a great summer, and I really have a fresh mind now,” Doncic said. “So it all starts again.”
After a summer of well-documented fitness gains and international hoops success, Doncic begins his first full season with the Lakers on Tuesday night when they host Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Everyone could see Doncic was slimmer and faster in his two preseason appearances this month for the Lakers, who brought him back to full game fitness cautiously after his busy summer at EuroBasket. Doncic says he made his physical changes largely with conditioning exercises, not diet changes – but he’s still hungry to add more achievements to his stellar career.
Coach JJ Redick says Doncic is “in a clearer headspace” this season, “and by that, I mean just mentally and emotionally in balance. It allows you the freedom to just be yourself.”
The upheaval of 2025 hasn’t stopped now that Doncic is finally settled in LA, however.
LeBron James, one of his boyhood idols and his most talented teammate, is recovering from sciatica, leaving Doncic to lead the Lakers by himself for at least the first few weeks of the season.
Doncic knows how hard it will be to win without James by his side, but he is committed to the Lakers’ project under Redick, his former teammate with the Mavs.
Doncic showed it by agreeing to a three-year, $165 million contract extension in August, bypassing the chance at free agency next summer and quelling any lingering doubt that he had embraced his stunning midseason move.
The season opener against Curry is his first test, and he looks forward to making his own stamp on the Lakers’ lengthy rivalry with the Warriors.
“Obviously if it was Steph against LeBron, everybody would watch it,” Doncic said. “Going against Steph is very exciting. It’s going to be tough. I don’t know if it’s a rivalry (for me yet), but it’s sure exciting.”
Doncic is still just 26 years old, but he understands the responsibilities inherent in his role as the centerpiece of the Lakers’ next era, and he’s trying to meet them. He played a role in improving the Lakers’ roster during the summer by lobbying Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart to join him.
After the first Tuesday practice of training camp, Doncic took his teammates a few miles down the road to the Porsche Experience Center. The Lakers got to watch each other as they tested speedy sports cars – including rides big enough to accommodate huge men like Ayton.
“I’ve never done that before – never had one of the star players on the team really look out for the team like that,” Ayton said. “Something like that is actually crazy. I’d never been in a Porsche before, so it was my first time. I didn’t know Luka was into cars like that.”
Doncic’s teammates have noticed his increasing confidence in taking a leadership role one season after he was thrust into a new locker room at midseason. His carefree, occasionally goofy demeanor in the locker room endears him to teammates like Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, who share his lighthearted attitude.
“The way he came here was a big shock to the world, I’m sure to him as well,” guard Gabe Vincent said. “He’s done a lot of work to be around the guys more and just get himself comfortable and more involved.”
Nuggets’ Braun agrees to $125M extension
Denver – Shooting guard Christian Braun agreed to a $125 million, five-year contract extension with the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
His agent, Bill Duffy, confirmed the deal to The Associated Press. It was first reported by ESPN.
The 24-year-old Braun is coming off a season with the Nuggets in which he moved into the starting lineup. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Known for his high-energy defense and hustle, Braun fits seamlessly alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. Braun’s sporting a new hairstyle this season, too, with his buzz cut.
The 6-foot-6 Braun was taken by Denver with the 21st pick in 2022 after finishing his career at Kansas with a national title. He then helped the Nuggets to their first NBA championship during his rookie season.
Braun scored a career-high 30 points last April against the Indiana Pacers. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in a playoff run last season that ended with a second-round loss to the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games.
The Nuggets are among the favorites to win an NBA crown this season. They have a new look after trading Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson and swinging another deal with Sacramento for big man Jonas Valanciunas. Denver also added Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, who along with Braun was a key piece off the bench when the Nuggets won in 2023.
Durant’s Houston decision a ‘no brainer’
Houston – Kevin Durant said Monday that signing an extension with the Houston Rockets was a “no brainer.”
Durant spoke of the deal a day after he signed the two-year extension that could keep the superstar with the Rockets through the 2027-28 season and a day before he played his first game with the team after a blockbuster summer trade.
“I’m excited,” he said after practice. “That’s what the intent was when I came here was to try to build with this group as long as possible. So, it was a no brainer to sign on that line.”
The second year of the extension is at Durant’s option. ESPN, which first reported the agreement, cited Durant’s business partner Rich Kleiman and said it could be worth $90 million. If Durant plays both seasons as planned, that $90 million would push his on-court earnings to nearly $600 million – which could be an NBA record, depending on how long LeBron James continues to play.
Durant – a 15-time All-Star, one of only seven players in NBA history with that many selections – was eligible for an extension that could have been worth $122 million. He opted for less, a move that will provide the Rockets plenty of flexibility for other deals going forward.
Durant said discussions with general manager Rafael Stone and coach Ime Udoka made him feel good about the deal they agreed to.
“Talking to Rafael, Ime, how they wanted to build the team and how I see myself in this organization, I just thought it was a perfect contract for us,” he said. “So, I’m glad we could get that out of the way. We won’t have to worry about external noise throughout the season if I didn’t have the contract signed. So just worry about basketball and focusing on the season.”
The Rockets open the season Tuesday night against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Teammate Alperen Sengun was thrilled to learn that Durant would be staying with the Rockets beyond this season and said it meant a lot to see him take less money to remain in Houston.
“We see how bad he want to play, how bad he wants to win,” Sengun said. “I saw he took a pay cut too and that’s important. We already know how much he cares about the team, how much he helps everybody. So happy to see that.”
Durant joined the Rockets in July from Phoenix in a seven-team trade that sent Jalen Green, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, and Dillon Brooks to the Suns. With Durant on the team and point guard Fred VanVleet out for the season with a knee injury, they plan to employ a jumbo starting lineup to start the season.
Udoka said Monday that Durant, Sengun and Steven Adams, who are all 6-11 and the 6-10 Jabari Smith Jr. will start against the Thunder with Amen Thompson, a 6-7 forward, moving to point guard.
Durant admired the Rockets leadership from afar before joining the team and was impressed with how Houston climbed out of the NBA’s basement in the last two seasons under Udoka after the Rockets were among the league’s worst teams in the three seasons before his arrival.
Houston finished second in the Western Conference last season before losing to the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
“Just how dedicated they were to turning this around and making Houston a contender again,” he said. “Very dedicated to the city of Houston and the franchise. I could feel that as an opponent. To walk in here every day, you see the attention detail from everybody. Not just the leadership of Rafael, Ime and (owner) Tilman Fertitta, but everybody who works here has a level of detail that it takes to become a successful team and franchise.”
“So, I’m happy I’m a part of that,” he continued. “I’m going to keep working and building and show my worth here.”
Udoka has already seen Durant have an impact on his team this preseason and believes his decision to sign the extension could be a boost for his young players.
“You see a guy that’s as accomplished as he is and he sees the talent and the potential that we have and … the young guys being around that only brings more confidence for sure,” Udoka said. “A guy that’s been around as much and played in different systems, just to be that complimentary of these young guys – yeah I think it rubs off on them.”
Houston is the fifth franchise the 37-year-old Durant has played for and Tuesday will mark the beginning of his 18th NBA season, after he missed the entire 2019-20 season due to injury. He’s been impressed with the team’s young core since his arrival and is eager to see what they can do this season.
“They seem very experienced and professional and that just is a testament to the organization and those guys as individuals that they care about their craft,” he said. “So it made it easy just to come in here and fit in. Everybody has been incredible thus far and I’m looking forward to the start of the season.”
Bulls guard White sidelined
Chicago – Chicago Bulls guard Coby White will miss the start of the season because of a strained right calf he suffered in the offseason.
Coach Billy Donovan told reporters Monday that White did not experience a setback in his recovery from an injury he suffered in August but did feel tightness following Saturday’s practice. The team said he will be reevaluated in two weeks.
White, who averaged a career-high 20.4 points last season, figures to miss at least six games, starting with the opener against Detroit on Wednesday. The Bulls also play Orlando, Atlanta, Sacramento and New York twice during that stretch.
Chicago went 39-43 for the second straight year and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference last season.
Purdue’s Smith earns unanimous AP honors
Braden Smith played with Zach Edey in the 2024 national championship game and followed his large footsteps by becoming an All-American last season.
The Purdue guard had a chance to leave for the NBA over the summer, but, like Edey before him, decided to return for another chance at a national championship under coach Matt Painter.
Smith’s decision earned him another similarity to Edey: unanimous preseason All-American.
Smith earned all 57 votes from a media panel in The Associated Press preseason All-America team released on Monday, a week after the Boilermakers were voted preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time. He was joined on a big man-heavy first team by Texas Tech’s JT Toppin (52 votes), Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg (30), BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa (22) and Florida forward Alex Condon (16).
“That’s just how Purdue has always been, how every player has always been,” Smith said. “Paint recruits players, recruits the same people and that’s how they think, how we think. We always want to be a part of a program like this, a culture like this.”
Smith has been one of the nation’s most productive guards since his freshman season at Purdue in 2022-23. The heady 6-foot guard played a key role on the Boilermakers’ first run to the national title game in 2024, averaging 12 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while setting a school record for minutes.
Smith was even better as a junior last season, becoming the first player in NCAA history to have at least 550 points, 300 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season. Smith averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game on a team that reached the Sweet 16.
Toppin’s impact
Toppin had a superb first season at Texas Tech after transferring from New Mexico.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while leading the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual national champion Florida. Toppin was a second-team AP All-American and the Big 12 player of the year before opting to return to a team ranked No. 10 in the AP preseason poll.
Landing Lendeborg
Lendeborg had a successful stint at UAB, helping lead the Blazers to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. After testing the NBA waters, the 6-9 forward decided he wanted a chance to reach the Final Four, so he stayed in college and transferred to Michigan.
The addition of Lendeborg helped the Wolverines earn a No. 7 ranking in the preseason poll after reaching the Sweet 16 a year ago.
Last season, Lendeborg joined Indiana State’s Larry Bird as the only players to have 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists in a season. He averaged 15.8 points and 11 rebounds per game in two seasons at UAB, earning American Conference defensive player of the year honors both years.
AJ arrives
BYU took a big step in its first season under coach Kevin Young last season by reaching the Sweet 16.
The No. 8 Cougars have even higher expectations this season after landing Dybantsa.
The nation’s No. 1 recruit had nearly every major program jockeying for his services but chose to play in Provo. The athletic 6-9 forward is an efficient scorer who finishes strong at the rim, has a good midrange game and is a superb defender – attributes that have him projected as a potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick.
Condon returns
Condon announced he was heading to the NBA draft after Florida’s national championship last season before changing his mind.
The 6-11 Australian averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while leading the Gators with 49 blocked shots. Condon was superb in the national title game against Houston, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals, diving for a loose ball in the closing seconds of the 65-63 win.
Condon returned for a chance to lead the Gators to consecutive national titles and helped them earn a No. 3 ranking in the AP preseason poll.
Local schedulesMen
Thursday
▶ Bowling Green at Michigan State, 7
Friday
▶ Saginaw Valley State at Central Michigan, 7
Saturday, Oct. 25
▶ Michigan vs. St. John’s in New York, 7
Tuesday, Oct. 28
▶ Michigan State at Connecticut, 7:30
Wednesday, Oct. 29
▶ Kalamazoo College at Western Michigan, TBA
Monday, Nov. 3
▶ Oakland at Michigan, 8:30
▶ Colgate at Michigan State, 7
▶ Coastal Carolina at Western Michigan, TBA
▶ Appalachian State at Central Michigan, TBA
▶ Georgia State at Eastern Michigan, 6:30
▶ Detroit Mercy at UIC, 8
Women
Wednesday
▶ Michigan Tech at Michigan State, 6:30
Thursday
▶ Ferris State at Michigan, 7
Monday, Nov. 3
▶ Central Michigan at Georgia Southern, TBA
▶ Eastern Michigan at UL Monroe, TBA
▶ Western Michigan at Appalachian State, TBA
▶ Cleary University at Oakland, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 4
▶ Canisius at Michigan, 7
▶ Mercyhurst at Michigan State, 6:30
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