Sept. 24, 2026, 10:58 p.m. PT

Luka Doncic is coming off a sensational MVP-caliber season during which he averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals a game. He won his second scoring title in three seasons, put himself on the periphery of the MVP discussion and even improved his defense.

Now, after suffering a season-ending hamstring strain on April 2, he is once again slim and in fantastic shape as training camp nears. He is now the unquestioned centerpiece and alpha of the Los Angeles Lakers, and he seems singularly focused on leading the franchise to its 18th NBA championship.

ESPN fully revealed its ranking of the top 100 players in the league by giving out its ranking of the 10 best players on Thursday, and it had Doncic at No. 4, behind only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.

“Coming off his second scoring title in the past three years (33.48 points per game) and continuing to sport the revamped physique he committed to in the summer of 2025, Doncic is primed for another dominant season quarterbacking the Lakers. The 6-8 star’s fingerprints were all over L.A.’s roster construction over the offseason, as the front office heeded his desire for an “A-list center” by trading for Walker Kessler and opened up the team’s coffers to retain Doncic’s dynamic backcourt partner, Austin Reaves. Now 27, Doncic is entering what traditionally has been identified as the start of a player’s prime — although he is arguably already there, as evidenced by his six All-NBA selections since joining the NBA in 2018.”

Some may make the argument that Doncic is a better player than Gilgeous-Alexander, who is his equal as a scorer but isn’t the passer or facilitator he is and isn’t much better defensively. Gilgeous-Alexander has won the last two regular-season MVPs and led the NBA in scoring average during the 2024-25 campaign.

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At age 27, Doncic has entered his prime, and he could possibly have up to a decade of superstar play left in him, especially now that he seems much more committed to his fitness and conditioning. He has also asserted himself much more as a leader this summer, especially when he held a minicamp for his teammates in his native Slovenia.

Now, it is up to the Lakers’ front office to finish the job it started this offseason of building a championship-caliber team around and for him. Judging by coach JJ Redick’s comments at Thursday’s press conference, the team already has a roster that should be very competitive this season.