Luka Doncic is viewed as the successor to LeBron James in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform and the franchise’s new face for the next decade. Although the Slovenian superstar is almost the only player whose style of play in terms of basketball IQ can be mentioned in the same sentence with LeBron, Luka has always had that killer instinct similar to another Purple & Gold legend – Kobe Bryant.
In an interview with WSJ. Style, Doncic reflected on his first interactions with Bryant, a man who was very familiar with the European style of basketball since he himself grew up in Italy, where he honed his talents.
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“First of all, he was trash-talking me in my language, so I was kind of surprised. I just looked over and it was Kobe, it was kind of a surreal moment that I will never forget. I remember meeting him the first time before I started my NBA season, there was one thing he said, ‘Watch out, you’re European, they’re gonna be after you,’ and you know he was right,” Luka said.
Kobe knew that Luka was going to face something he wasn’t used to
Kobe, who had built a brotherly bond with his teammate Pau Gasol, with whom he fought great battles at the FIBA level between Team USA and Spain, knew that Luka would face something he wasn’t used to, just like Pau.
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Doncic entered the league as a European and Spanish champion with Real Madrid, the best team outside of the NBA at the time. He was MVP in both competitions and had practically achieved superstar status at just 18 years old.
When he arrived as a chubby white kid to a Dallas Mavericks franchise that was rebuilding after 20 successful seasons with Dirk Nowitzki, the Black Mamba knew Luka Magic was going from being the main star to an unknown figure in the US overnight, something he definitely wasn’t used to.
Even though he won Rookie of the Year, not even Kobe could have predicted how high Luka would eventually rise. Still, Dwyane Wade already saw greatness in Luka after his first few rookie games.
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“Quote me right where I say this — it’s LeBron James-like from the standpoint of how he’s able to rope that pass to shooters in corners, getting blitzed. There’s not many guys who can do that and put it right there. He does an amazing job of it,” Wade said in 2019.
Doncic has been given the keys of perhaps the biggest franchise in the entire league
Wade was absolutely right, and now at 26 years old, Doncic has been given the keys to maybe the biggest franchise in the whole league after Bryant and James made their marks, which only confirms his ceiling could reach those heights.
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Luka is undoubtedly the type of player with the potential to become one of the greatest ever, once all is said and done. He has already proven in individual categories that he can do it all. Still, now it’s time to round out his career with the Larry O’Brien Trophy and enter the pantheon of Lakers legends and the greatest players of all time.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.