Los Angeles Lakers Star Luka Doncic Gets Praise from NBA Legend Magic Johnson for Leading the Team in LeBron James’ Absence

LeBron James’ groin injury has him missing out on playtime for a few weeks, and as of now, reports say that he won't be returning until the end of this month. In his absence, his teammate Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers’ most recent acquisition, has been the one to lead the team in their recent games. And Lakers legend Magic Johnson is all praises for the young Slovenian.

Magic Johnson thinks Luka Doncic is the best candidate to take over for LeBron James

With LeBron James sitting out a few weeks of game time for the Los Angeles Lakers, the team is without their leader as they take on opponents right before the postseason starts. But in this crucial time, Luka Doncic, who recently got traded in from the Dallas Mavericks, has been a big presence. He has been leading the team in James’ absence, and Magic Johnson, who is a Lakers legend in his own right, thinks Doncic would be the best replacement to guide the team when LeBron finally decided to say goodbye to the court. Talking on Byron Scott's Fast Break show, Johnson said:

“I thought it was good in terms of, you have somebody later as a star after LeBron retires. Offensively, it's a good team. It's a team you got to say, 'Ok, we got two guys we got to try to control and stop, but both of those two guys are great passers, so they make the other players better."


Bron is on his 22nd season in the NBA, having recently celebrated his 40th birthday. While he is in no hurry to retire, it won't be more than a couple more seasons until his time will probably be up. And when that happens, Luka Doncic would be the perfect candidate to take over for him as the next leader of the Los Angeles Lakers team. But for now, Johnson also has a cautionary warning for the team before playoffs begin.

Magic Johnson issues a warning for the Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are currently the fourth seed on the Western Conference table with a 42-25 run. The season will continue until mid-April, after which the playoffs begin. And Johnson has a warning for the team, saying they have to work on their defense if they want to make it to the finals.


"Where they gon' have to improve is on that defensive end. In the regular season, we're ok. In the playoffs, it's gonna be different, because now I gotta beat you four out of seven."

With James’ injury and quite a few other players from the team, like Rui Hachimura and Maxi Kleber, also out with injury, it won't be easy for the team to make it work. And while their defense was pretty good with LeBron James in the team, with him out, it's been quite shaky. They will need to make sure they improve their defensive play before the playoffs begin.

Also Read: Luka Doncic Takes a Subtle Jab at His Former Dallas Mavericks Coach While Heaping Praises on JJ Redick



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