Why Luka Doncic is ready to be the Lakers next torch bearer

In a little over a month, the Lakers’ torch will officially be passed to Luka Doncic. It’s impossibly heavy, bearing the weight of 17 championships. It’s impossibly unforgiving, putting its holder under an unforgiving microscope.It’s impossibly fickle, transforming whomever’s carrying it into a hero or a failure with every polarizing dribble or shot they take. The good news?Doncic is ready. He was raised by hostile crowds of nearly 20,000 screaming fans while playing for Real Madrid from the ripe ages of 13 to 19 years old.He was tested by the Dallas Mavericks, with whom he was selected as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft and transformed into a top-four player in the league, leading the franchise to the 2024 NBA Finals. He was sharpened by the shock, betrayal and humiliation of the Mavericks pulling the rug from under him, making the virtually unheard of decision to trade a superstar of his caliber in his mid-20s to the Lakers in February 2025. He was vindicated by a revenge tour that included getting in arguably the best shape of his career last summer ahead of leading the league in points (33.5) and finishing third in assists (8.3) last season. Now the stakes are even higher. Even though the Lakers have technically been his team for the last season and a half, he always had a shield.It was in the form of LeBron James, who has been the face of the league for two decades and is arguably the greatest player of all-time. Doncic was the brightest star.

But James was a supernova. When the Lakers struggled, fingers pointed at the 41-year-old, who has dominated news cycles long enough for fathers and sons to cycle through the league. Doncic no longer has protection. After eight seasons with the Lakers, James left in free agency for the Philadelphia 76ers.That means Doncic will be standing alone under one of the brightest and most unforgiving spotlights in sports. He spent the summer readying himself for that responsibility.He hand-s...