Stephen A Smith sparked conversation across the NBA world after reacting to Luka Doncic’s recent stretch with the Los Angeles Lakers.
During an eight-game winning streak, the Lakers star has averaged 40.9 points and 7.4 assists, a run that led Smith to say that what Luka has done “no Laker has ever done,” placing him above names like Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson over a similar span.
It’s a strong statement and one that deserves context
From a pure scoring perspective, Doncic’s numbers over this stretch are undeniably elite. Averaging over 40 points across multiple games is something rarely seen in franchise history. Even Kobe Bryant, known for his scoring explosions, had stretches of 40+ point games, including his historic 2006 season, but sustaining that average over an extended winning streak is far less common.
Shaquille O’Neal, on the other hand, dominated in a different way. During the Lakers’ early 2000s championship runs, Shaq averaged around 29-30 points per game in peak seasons, with efficiency and physical dominance rather than volume scoring at the level Luka is currently showing.
Magic Johnson’s impact was never centered on scoring volume. According to official NBA stats, he averaged 19.5 points and 11.2 assists for his career, controlling games through playmaking rather than high-scoring bursts like the Lakers’ current star during this run.
That’s where the comparison becomes more nuanced. The Slovenian star’s stretch stands out because it combines scoring volume with playmaking, averaging over seven assists while carrying a major offensive load.
Still, saying that “no Laker has ever done this” depends heavily on how the sample is defined. Lakers history includes multiple short stretches of dominance from its legends, but Doncic’s current run is unique in how those numbers are combined in a winning streak.
What is clear is that Luka is producing at a level that places him in rare statistical territory for the franchise, even if comparing eras, roles, and styles remains complicated due to all the factors surrounding it.
For now, the numbers support one thing without exaggeration: Luka Doncic is in the middle of one of the most productive stretches seen in a Lakers uniform in recent years. Whether it surpasses the peaks of legends depends on perspective, but it has already been enough to reignite the conversation and put him at the center of it across the NBA.
Read the full article here
