Throughout the course of his NBA career, there have been two narratives about LeBron James, and both of them have been true to a degree.
Some claim that he makes his teammates better, while others believe he makes his co-stars worse.
That’s why it was always going to be a fun and interesting experiment to see how he could mesh with Luka Doncic.
It took them a while, but J.J. Redick finally got a glimpse of what things could be like when they’re both at their best.
Doncic put up 32 points with ten boards, seven assists, and four steals in the big win over the Denver Nuggets, the team that usually gets the best of them.
Following the game, LeBron had an interesting football-like analogy to talk about their chemistry (via Dave McMenamin & Legion Hoops):
“I’m a natural-born wide receiver and he’s a natural-born quarterback, so it’s fits perfectly,” he said.
“I’m a natural-born wide receiver and he’s a natural-born quarterback, so it’s fits perfectly.”
— LeBron on his chemistry with Luka
(via @mcten) pic.twitter.com/cX9H5EBjim
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 23, 2025
Of course, most people would also describe James as a quarterback on the basketball court, and he’s always been more efficient when he’s had the ball in his hands.
That’s a bit of a concern going forward, as Doncic is also used to pulling the strings of the offense.
James’ court vision and basketball IQ might be some of the highest of all time, but not putting the ball in Doncic’s hands is not using him properly.
No one controls the pace of the game like Doncic, and they will have to find some sort of balance to make this partnership work.
Doncic’s presence could help extend James’ career, and the Lakers need to make sure this works out.
