NBA Makes Luka Doncic Announcement Before Lakers' Debut
The Los Angeles Lakers have listed Luka Doncic as probable for Monday’s game, marking his highly anticipated debut since being traded from the Dallas Mavericks a little over a week ago in one of the most shocking deals in NBA history.
The Lakers are currently on fire, winning five straight and 10 of their last 11 games. With just two games remaining before the All-Star break, Doncic is set to take the floor alongside LeBron James in the purple and gold for the first time.
After the Lakers revealed that everyone at Crypto.com Arena would receive a free No. 77 Luka Doncic t-shirt, the NBA posted an announcement of his anticipated debut.
"Luka Dončić is set to make his Lakers debut TONIGHT!" The NBA posted.
Since entering the league in 2018, Luka Doncic has quickly emerged as one of the best players in basketball, earning All-NBA First Team honors for five consecutive seasons.
Before the calf injury that sidelined him for the past month, Doncic was averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. He also just came off an NBA Finals appearance with the Dallas Mavericks, which made his trade to the Lakers all the more surprising to many.
Now, Doncic is a central figure for Los Angeles moving forward. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has emphasized that the goal is to build around the 25-year-old superstar, and it all begins on Monday night.
“Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come,” Pelinka said. “His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for this team. We will be relentless in building a roster around the on-court vision that Coach Redick has for this basketball team and there is an unwavering commitment to that work to serve our loyal and dedicated fans. We are grateful for today and look forward to what’s next.”