The divisions are becoming more obvious in the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room. After a tough week that ended with a 1-2 record, the team’s two leaders, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, shared very different views on their situation.
The team closed out the week with a 124-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, but on Thursday, they lost 136-108 to the San Antonio Spurs, and on Monday, they fell 119-110 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This last loss hurt James the most, especially because the Thunder played without star player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is recovering from an abdominal strain.
Although the Lakers also played without Doncic, LeBron James lamented that the team couldn’t stay together for just 48 minutes at Crypto.com Arena. However, Luka didn’t agree with James.
Luka believes in the Lakers more than LeBron
In an interview with NBA TV insider Chris Haynes, Doncic expressed his confidence in the team, saying:
We’re trying to win the championship. I think we can do it. We have the team for it.
He noted that the team has been affected by a wave of injuries this season, starting with himself, who missed the last four games with a minor hamstring strain.
“We had a lot of injuries. You know, me, Bron, AR, everybody has been out some time,” Doncic recalled. “Now, coming back from the All-Star break, I think everybody is healthy. So that will be a good test for us.”
As Doncic himself stated, the team’s three pillars-himself, James, and Austin Reaves-have only played together in 10 of the 54 games played so far. However, that seems to be starting to change.
Will Doncic play in the NBA All-Star Game?
Although he continues to manage his injury, Doncic confirmed that he will try to play at least a few minutes in the All-Star Game this Sunday. “I wouldn’t know exactly yet, but obviously I want to be there for the fans,” he said.
After that, the Lakers will have a tough end to the month facing:
- Clippers – Friday, Feb. 20
- Celtics – Sunday, Feb. 22
- Magic – Tuesday, Feb. 24
- Suns – Thursday, Feb. 26
- Warriors – Saturday, Feb. 28
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