Luka Doncic isn’t looking back. After his surprising exit from Dallas earlier this year, the five-time All-NBA guard has made it clear his only focus now is delivering a championship in Los Angeles.
“He’s moved on,” Doncic’s manager Lara Beth Seager told The Athletic. “He’s only looking forward. And he’s here. He wants to get the best players here. He wants to win, and he knows it starts with him. And he’s here. He wants to get the best players here.”
Doncic never requested a trade from the Mavericks and was blindsided when the front office shipped him out.
Making matters worse, the Mavericks began criticizing him publicly, questioning his conditioning and commitment.
“He wants to win, and he knows it starts with him,” Seager said. “And I think that’s what he proved this offseason. ‘OK, everyone wants to say or people think that they know me or I’m not a leader or I’m this way, or I’m that way, I don’t care. They can think and say whatever they want. I’m gonna show them who I am.’”
In 28 games with the Lakers, Doncic has posted 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists on 53 percent shooting. His first postseason run with the team ended in a first-round loss, but his approach this summer has shown a new level of commitment.
With a long-term deal keeping him under contract through 2028 and the Lakers investing heavily in roster upgrades, including Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart, Doncic finally has the backing he wanted.
For him, it’s no longer about the drama in Dallas. It’s about carving out a legacy in Los Angeles.
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