The Los Angeles Lakers’ latest star is sidelined due to a calf strain. But Luka Doncic is already getting in the mix. He joined the Lakers’ bench for their Tuesday win over the Clippers, showing support. Then, on Wednesday, he hit the court for a 5-on-5 scrimmage. Doncic hadn’t played since Christmas Day when he injured his calf during a game against the Timberwolves. It’s been a while but looks like he’s on the road to recovery now.

But we might get to see LeBron’s former teammate play with him again. The 2025 NBA All-Star Game rosters are locked in, and you can thank Inside the NBA’s Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith for that. The trio made their draft picks Thursday night, putting the final pieces in place.

Shaquille O’Neal picked LeBron James and Anthony Davis for his team. Is Big Diesel trying to make things spicy? Whatever his intention might be, reminding everyone how great they were together or anything else might not work.

After a month and a half on the sidelines, the 6-foot-6 star is eyeing his comeback with the Lakers as reported by Marc Stein. He’s hoping to make his return in Monday’s game against the Utah Jazz, who are struggling at 12-37.

Even JJ Redick confirmed that Doncic is going to make his Lakers debut on Monday against the Jazz, not Saturday against Indiana. So before the All-Star weekend, the world will get a taste of the LeBron-Luka combo. There was some buzz about the 5x All-Star making his return on Saturday, which even got ESPN to switch up their broadcast schedule for the Lakers vs. Pacers game. Just look at Luka’s influence. He even impacted college basketball.

ESPN makes changes in schedule to accommodate Luka Doncic’s supposed debut

ESPN made a bold move with their schedule after the trade news. Initially, the Lakers-Pacers game wasn’t even on the radar for ESPN, but with the buzz around Doncic potentially debuting, they flipped the script. Instead of airing the Utah Jazz-Phoenix Suns matchup, ESPN decided to showcase the Lakers’ game, pushing the big college hoops showdown between Auburn and Florida to ESPN2. That game, which was once the highlight of the weekend, now takes the backseat to an NBA debut.

Auburn and Florida were set for a major SEC clash, but the Tigers are favored with an 82.1% chance of winning, according to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor. Still, that college game can’t compete with the anticipation of Luka stepping onto the court.

But now the star is slated to make his debut on Monday. So, mark your calendars! It’s a monumental moment for the Lakers and a must-watch for NBA fans everywhere. With all the hype surrounding Luka, expect the basketball world to tune in. Who wouldn’t want to see a superstar’s first game alongside arguably the greatest player of all time, LeBron James?