The Los Angeles Lakers won their third game in a row by beating the New Orleans Pelicans, 111-103, on Tuesday night in a victory that showcased what they are capable of achieving if their two best players perform up to expectation. Both LeBron James and Luka Dončić had 30 points to lead a balanced attack as they worked together in unison. It was the exact type of output the organization dreamed of receiving when they made the move to bring Dončić in.
Perhaps the only question mark—outside of Dončić's long-term fitness and defensive prowess—was how James would acclimate to finally being a Robin to some other Batman for the first time in his career.
As it turns out, pretty well.
James offered what may be his most complete comments on the situation in the victorious locker room, pushing back on the idea that Dončić should have to shape his game around anyone—including himself.
"Luka don't need to bend his game," James said. "He's our 27-year-old franchise for this ball club. It's up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out."
“Luka don't need to bend his game. He's our 27 year old franchise for this ball club. It's up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out."
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) January 7, 2026
-Lebron pic.twitter.com/pG01CQszB6
"We just try to be dynamic and work off him," James continued. "We know he's an unbelievable pick-and-roll player, unbelievable shot-maker. Commands the defense, four eyes, sometimes six eyes on him so it's up to us to put ourselves in the right position."
James himself has been playing excellent ball recently, averaging 25.6 points on 55% shooting over the past five games. At 25-11 the Lakers are third in the Western Conference and will be quite a challenge for any team who sees them in the postseason. Especially if LeBron is completely bought in to this being Dončić's team.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
- Luka Dončić Yelled Profane Message to Courtside Fan After Wild Three-Pointer
- LeBron James Had Hilarious Message About His Status for Back-to-Back Games
- Lakers One Win Away From Matching Historic Warriors Team With Latest Clutch Victory
- Shaquille O’Neal Enjoys the Shifted ‘Inside the NBA’ ESPN Schedule for Simple Reason
This article was originally published on www.si.com as LeBron James Gives Highest Compliment to Luka Dončić After Lakers' Win.
