LeBron James pushed for Luka Dončić to be introduced last with the Los Angeles Lakers starters in his season debut against the Utah Jazz, according to NBA reporter Dan Woike of The Athletic.
James was introduced first.
Usually, the best player on a team gets announced last.
James put up 11 points and 12 assists against the Jazz while shooting 4-of-7 from the field, 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and 2-of-4 from the free-throw line. The Lakers won by a final score of 140-126.
“The pace tested me, but I was happy with the way I was able to go with the guys,” LeBron James said. “As the game went on, my wind got a lot better. Caught my second wind, caught my third wind. Rhythm is still coming back, obviously. First game in almost seven months, so everything that happened tonight was to be expected.”
Dončić finished with 37 points and 10 assists against the Jazz. The superstar leads the NBA in points per game.
As everyone knows, James picked up his 2025-26 player option with the Lakers. He will make $52.6 million this season in the final year of his contract. The leading scorer in NBA history will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason for the first time since 2018.
Dončić wants James to retire from the NBA with the Lakers, a source told DallasHoopsJournal. Dončić has frequently said James was the player he watched most growing up. The former Dallas Mavericks star enjoys playing alongside James and believes the Lakers can contend for the championship this season.
Dončić and James played 23 games together last season. The Lakers went 15–8 in those games.
Dončić averaged 27.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.4 blocks per game alongside James, who averaged 23.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.6 blocks per game next to Dončić during the 2024-25 season.
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