Luka Doncic is having one of the busiest offseasons in the NBA, with the Los Angeles Lakers All-Star putting the work in the gym in order to be in the best shape of his life.
After getting traded to the Purple and Gold from the Dallas Mavericks – a team the Slovenian took to the NBA Finals a year before -, Donci is on a mission to show his former team that they made a terrible mistake and the franchise will soon regret it in a big way.
Luka, a 5-times NBA All-Star, 5-times All-NBA team, has accomplished what many young ballers can only dream of, but he’s still searching for his first Larry O’Brien Trophy, something that would cement his legacy as one of the most dominant players of recent history.
Doncic sparks a debate after visiting the Yankees
At Yankee Stadium, two sports superstars came face-to-face. Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic met New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, and both looked like old time friends.
Even while recovering from a flexor strain, Judge handed Doncic a game-used bat and a pair of his “Double Gum” Air Jordan 1 Low cleats. Both athletes are Jordan Brand ambassadors, making the gift extra meaningful. The meeting went viral online. While many celebrated the crossover, some fans joked Luka should have visited Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers instead of supporting the Yankees.
And while Doni wouldn’t commit to being a Yankees fan — understandable given that he plays in Los Angeles, where they have some pretty good baseball of their own — he did say he was enjoying the atmosphere and watching one of the most historic teams in the world of sport in action. The slimmed-down Doncic is preparing for his first full Lakers season, while Judge hopes to return soon to continue his historic power-hitting year.
Lakers add a Smart defender to the roster
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Marcus Smart this offseason. An 11-year NBA veteran, Smart is a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection (2019, 2020, 2022) and was named the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He became the first guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996.
“Adding a player like Marcus Smart to our roster allows us to compete at the highest level,” Lakers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka said. “Marcus epitomizes what it means to prioritize winning above all else – whether that’s making huge plays on the defensive end or hitting critical shots in key moments of the most intense games.”
Smart (6’3″, 220) appeared in 34 games (seven starts) for the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies during the 2024-25 season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 20.0 minutes. The 31-year-old has appeared in 635 career NBA games (387 starts) across 11 seasons with Washington (2024-25), Memphis (2023-25) and the Boston Celtics (2014-23).
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