Exclusive | Luka Doni is all-in on the Lakers and winning over LA basketball fans

Luka Dončić has always earned fans’ respect. So much so that before Kobe Bryant attended a Lakers game as a fan in 2019 alongside his daughter, Gianna, he learned some Slovenian so he could trash-talk the then-Mavericks’ superstar from his courtside seat.Seven years later, Dončić is now the face of the 17-time champion Lakers, the franchise with which Bryant spent his entire 20-season career. “We can say that it was meant to be,” Dončić told the California Post in an exclusive interview.Dončić has consistently mesmerized anyone who has watched him play, even a five-time champion with the Lakers who showed his admiration with attempted subterfuge. None of this is lost on Dončić. In fact, if there’s one thing that’s nearly as important to him as winning his first NBA championship, it’s inspiring anyone who watches him play, something that has long come naturally to him. Dončić had a cult following when he became the youngest player in EuroLeague history to win the MVP Award at age 19 en route to leading Real Madrid to a championship. While playing for the Mavericks, he was so beloved that his fans were likened to “Swifties,” the nickname for Taylor Swift’s passionate fanbase.When Dončić was stunningly traded to the Lakers in February 2025, Mavericks fans were so devastated that they protested outside American Airlines Center, canceled season tickets, chanted for then-Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to be fired (he was nine months later), and even famously brought a casket to the arena to mourn their superstar’s departure. Now Dončić is in Los Angeles, a city with 12 professional sports teams and Hollywood. He’s a different type of superstar than the Lakers have ever had: He’s European, he’s a team-first player and he’s shy.

So, he’s the opposite of other fan favorites, such as Magic Johnson or Bryant. The big question? Can Dončić win over LA? It’s something LeBron James struggled with d...