LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Lakers’ newest player, Luka Dončić, will be stepping onto the court in the iconic purple and gold jersey for the first time on Saturday, Feb. 8. Fans can catch his debut on ESPN, ESPN+, and Disney+.
The Lakers will play the Indiana Pacers at Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A., with tip-off set for 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
The 25-year-old scoring sensation from Slovenia has been out of action since Christmas. Unfortunately, his hiatus has been long enough to disqualify him from contention for the All-NBA team, an honor he has held for the past five seasons.
Prior to being traded to the Lakers in a deal involving Anthony Davis, Dončić was averaging impressive numbers of 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game.
Dončić participated in his first practice with the Lakers since joining the team in a stunning trade with Dallas last weekend.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic speaks during an introductory NBA basketball press conference Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in El Segundo, Calif.
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Dončić said he has been trying to treat this injury seriously after he routinely played through minor past injuries, sometimes to his detriment.
“For the first time, I took my time [to] get it to heal 100%,” Doncic said of his return. “Other times, I think I just wanted to go back to the court playing basketball, and I really [wouldn’t] be healthy 100%. This time I just took my time, which was the normal amount of time to get back to 100%.”
What will the Lakers look like with Luka?
Their new superstar is almost certain to start alongside versatile Austin Reaves in the backcourt. He would take the spot recently held by Max Christie, the young 3-and-D wing traded alongside Davis to the Mavericks.
Christie moved into the Lakers’ starting lineup on Dec. 8. Los Angeles hasn’t made extensive use of a traditional point guard since trading D’Angelo Russell on Dec. 29, although veteran Gabe Vincent is usually in the rotation.
Left to right: LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, Luka Doncic, and head coach JJ Redick pose for photos during an introductory NBA press conference on Feb. 4, 2025, in El Segundo, Calif.
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
40-year-old Lebron James and Reaves initiate much of the Lakers’ offense, but Dončić clearly will have the ball in his hands constantly.
The most obvious place to put James and Dončić together is in pick-and-roll sets. Lakers Coach JJ Redick, who played alongside Dončić in Dallas, is undoubtedly salivating at the prospect of scheming plays for these two supreme playmakers and creative scorers.
As for the Lakers’ defense? Without Davis protecting the rim, they’ll take an enormous step backward. It isn’t tough to imagine James and Dončić simply trying to outscore most teams – and this duo will often have the talent to do it.
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ESPN and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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