It was in 2018 that LeBron James first mentioned that he would like to play with Luka Doncic. Doncic understandably overwhelmed responded by saying, “Maybe one day, we’ll see.” Well, that moment finally arrived when the Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers on Saturday, and safe to say both he and James were caught off guard. In fact, James, who was out with his family for dinner when the news first popped up, thought it was a hoax.

The trade that sent Anthony Davis in the opposite direction sent shockwaves across the NBA. The Lakers roping in a 25-year-old generational talent was a clear message of intent and what the franchise hopes to achieve in the coming seasons. The Mavs were reportedly frustrated with his conditioning issues and decided to move on from him and while it did leave Doncic a little disappointed, he is already looking forward to the next chapter. The Lakers fans are also eagerly awaiting to see the magic Doncic and James will weave and they were given a slight insight by the NBA’s top scorer about how things will work.

Last night, LeBron James took on the Dubs and the 4x NBA Champ set the tone of the game very early, dropping a triple from the logo. It was the beginning of destruction. He clocked out with a game-high 42 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 assists with an impressive 6-9 FG from the deep, making history in the process.

James became just the second player in NBA history after Michael Jordan to score over 40 points in a game at 40 years old. While the post-game chatter was about his fabulous show, the question of how he would fit in with Doncic eventually came up. When asked about how feels about lining up with a player of Doncic’s quality, James answered, “I’m looking forward to it, I can’t wait. Everything I do on the floor, I mean, he just has the ability to do it or even do it better… So I’ll be super appreciative to be able to share the floor with him.”

The next question was whether it would be a challenge to adjust Doncic on the side and ensure there is cohesion in the way the team operates. James answered, “I don’t really see a challenge,” after taking a long pause and then diving into how things would work with the Slovenian in the team.

“Everybody getting into the right spots, hold each other accountable, play basketball the right way, share the ball. The ball is gonna be in Luka’s hands, it’s gonna be in AR’s hands. Two great decision makers,” said Bron selflessly before adding, “It’d be in my hands a little bit as well. Another great decision-maker and then our guys are gonna feast off us.”

The Lakers are keen to build the team around Doncic and James and their moves ahead of the trade deadline suggest that they are providing everything for the big Slovenian to succeed in LA. On Wednesday, Rob Pelinka moved to acquire Hornets starting center Mark Williams. The 7-foot Williams will step into a pivotal starting spot. Talking about feasting, Williams will have a meal day on lob opportunities, dump-off dishes and pocket passes from Dončić, James, and Austin Reaves.

At Mavs, Doncic thrived with big players in the middle as seen in his recent NBA Finals trip throwing up lobs to Derek Lively II and Daniel Gafford. With Williams in the center, Doncic will be given the chance to excel.

With Reaves, James, Doncic, and Williams as part of the starting lineup, the Lakers will be an offensive force and will be seen as one of the favorites for the Western Conference. Coach JJ Redick also opened up about how the dynamic will work.

“I think Luka can play a number of ways. It would be very advantageous for us to have multiple centers that can provide a vertical threat, and we feel that Mark … provides that vertical threat,” Redick said.

Doncic has been out of action since straining his left calf on Christmas Day and missed the Mavs’ next 19 games until he was traded to the Lakers. So far, he has watched LeBron James from the sidelines in the two games he has been with the franchise since his move. Early reports indicate it is difficult for him to make the weekend’s game against the Pacers but he could make his Lakers debut against the Jazz on Monday. Going by his comments he can’t wait to get started.

During his introductory press conference, Doncic mentioned that James called him straight away and told him, “‘I understand what you’re feeling.’” Doncic then opened up about how it would feel for him to play alongside King James.

“It’s like a dream come true. I always looked up to him. There’s so many things I can learn from him, and I’m just excited. It’s an amazing feeling,” Doncic mentioned. Meanwhile, for LeBron, the addition of Doncic to the team will be a welcome boost and perhaps we might get to see him shoot more threes. That is what his coach wants actually.

LeBron James “reluctant” to shoot more threes

Redick has always been clear about how he wants James to shoot more threes. Opening about the demand of his coach after the Warriors win, James revealed, “JJ still wants me to shoot more threes. I’m still reluctant to do that ’cause I’m just playing an all-around game… I don’t know, maybe we’ll see.”

In the game against the Warriors, he shot six three-pointers, but his previous four games have seen him launch a total of seven-pointers combined. Back in December, LeBron talked about the increasing number of shots from beyond the arc and how it is affecting the game.

Well, whether James adheres to Redick’s demands or not remains to be seen, but with the addition of Luka Doncic hopes are high for a deep run into the playoffs. If everything goes to plan, it could be the season when LeBron James claims his 5th ring.