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Once again, Stephen A Smith is making his voice heard. After Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Smith, like many, wondered how it would influence LeBron James. However, his answer was quite simple, and an unexpected one too. He explained on ESPN's First Take about how Doncic's impact will influence the Lakers.
“This is no longer your franchise, this is Luka Doncic's franchise now,” Smith said. “No one has ever said that in the 22 years that LeBron James has been in the NBA. Not Cleveland, not Miami, not Cleveland again, not LA, not even the league.”
For Smith, he makes an intriguing point. James is 40 years old, while Doncic is 25. Although James is doing things no one has seen for his age, Doncic is in the prime of his career. Besides his rookie season, he's made an All-NBA team and been an All-Star every season since.
Not to mention, Doncic helped lead the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals. It was the first Finals appearance in 13 years. However, he's now going from Dallas to Los Angeles midway through the season. He'll have the chance to play alongside one of the best to ever play the game.
Stephen A Smith sees Luka Doncic becoming No. 1 on the Lakers
Even with James's greatness, it might be time to pass the baton to Doncic. Still, the two haven't played a game yet, so there's chemistry waiting to be developed. However, the Lakers struck gold with this trade. They have their next franchise player if James retires in the next couple of seasons.
Despite Dallas's concerns and criticisms of Doncic, he's a pure hooper. Plus, he's a competitor at heart. For example, every time he played the Phoenix Suns after the 2022 playoffs, he always had something extra. The same will likely happen when he plays the Mavericks again.
Plus, learning from one of the best players ever is a plus. James can teach Doncic how to take care of his body and be fully available for every game of the season. After all, the current Lakers forward spends roughly $1.5 million on his body every year. There's no surprise that he's been able to keep up his consistency in the league.
At the end of the day, the Lakers will benefit greatly from the Doncic trade. They have their franchise piece for when James decides to leave or retire. Who knows? He could become the franchise player while James is still playing on the team.
