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The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off a wild trade in the middle of last season to acquire superstar Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. It was a move that gave the franchise new life and a much better future outlook for the long term. Now, months later, Steve Nash gives LeBron James props for how he handled the massive trade before the deadline.
In the latest episode of the “Mind the Game Podcast,” Nash claimed that he admired James for adapting his game to play alongside Doncic. The Hall of Fame point guard feels that LeBron James made a great effort to do what was necessary to help the Lakers more than himself.
“The way he adapted this season to playing with Luka. That takes a lot of maturity… a lot of sacrifice. He approached this as a gift and an opportunity to make a team as good as it could possibly be.”
"The way he adapted this season to playing with Luka. That takes a lot of maturity… a lot of sacrifice. He approached this as a gift and an opportunity to make a team as good as it could possibly be."
Steve Nash on LeBron James.
(via @mindthegamepod)pic.twitter.com/y9rfeXvOpk
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 15, 2025
LeBron James and Luka Doncic have a similar play style in that they are both better with the ball in their hands. Each of them is big, athletic, and can stuff the stat sheet in nearly every category. Having two players with a similar approach to the game can be difficult, but James and Doncic seemingly made it work. Even if the Lakers suffered an early exit from the playoffs.
Considering LeBron James has been the best player in the world for so long, it was interesting to see him take on the second-man role with Luka Doncic becoming the new face of the Lakers. Their first season together saw Los Angeles improve in the regular season, as the club entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed.
But with the season concluded, there has been some speculation that LeBron James could leave the Lakers. The franchise is seemingly focusing on building around Luka Doncic, as his age of 26 years gives L.A. a much longer timeline to build for the future. As for James, who is 40 years old, he is set to play the final year of his contract next season.
