Luka Doncic showing Lakers true colors as Buss family drama rages on

Luka Doncic’s minicamp couldn’t be better timed. Amid the chaos of the Lakers being sold twice in 10 months and the Buss family being embroiled in a battle over its remaining 17.8% stake in the team, Doncic is gifting the players some noise-canceling headphones in the form of chemistry. He chartered a flight for his teammates to come to Slovenia.They’re going to be playing basketball.

Golfing.Going out to dinners. They’re going to be steeling themselves against the drama that has recently mired the Lakers.This is Doncic’s first important act as the official leader of the team. Yes, the Lakers became Doncic’s team as soon as he was stunningly traded by the Mavericks to Los Angeles in February 2025.

But even though it was clear that Doncic was their No.1 priority, a man by the name of LeBron James was on the squad.

You know, arguably the greatest player of all time. Doncic was the present and the future of the organization, but James was the face of the league.He’s going to be the sun on any squad he’s on.

That’s what happens when you’re a four-time champion, four-time MVP and the league’s all-time leading scorer. When James left this summer in free agency, everything changed. There’s no more ambiguity.No fuzziness.

No ifs, ands or buts. The Lakers belong to Doncic.He will be celebrated for their successes.

He will be blamed for their failures.And more than anything, it’s up to him to keep things together when there are speed bumps. And right now, they’re Himalaya-sized. Doncic has already begun putting his fingerprint on all parts of the organization.

He played a major role in helping build the Lakers’ new roster. He wanted to keep playing alongside Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers signed to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract for a player who went undrafted. He wanted to be paired with center Walker Kessler, whom the Lakers acquired from Utah on a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade deal, inc...