Kendrick Perkins says Luka should be jealous of SGA: ‘I believe he is’

The 2024-25 NBA season was almost as different as possible for star guards Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Doncic saw his vision for his NBA career take a huge turn when the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, after joining his new team, he had to deal with the frustration of a first-round playoff exit just one year after he reached the NBA Finals.

Gilgeous-Alexander, meanwhile, was named the league MVP for the 2024-25 season and led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the 2025 NBA title after playing at a very high level during the postseason. He also took home Finals MVP honors.

Now, former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins thinks Doncic should be jealous of Gilgeous-Alexander, and he believes he is.

“Luka had to watch a young SGA have one of the greatest individual runs in NBA history,” Perkins said. “Luka had to watch that. I hope Luka jealous. I hope he’s jealous. Matter of fact, I believe he is jealous, and you know what, in a good way, he should envy SGA. He should envy him and come back on a mission. I believe he will.”

Doncic already has no shortage of motivation after the Mavs unexpectedly traded him. If he can draw even more motivation from Gilgeous-Alexander’s run last season, he may never run out of bulletin board material.

Given all of these factors and a recent report that Doncic’s mentality is to “win now,” the Lakers are likely in for an exciting ride this coming season with their new franchise cornerstone.

Some of the boxes that Gilgeous-Alexander checked last season — an MVP award, Finals MVP award and championship ring — are the biggest remaining feats that Doncic has yet to accomplish in the NBA. The Lakers guard’s resume is incredible otherwise, and it includes five All-Star bids, five All-NBA selections and one scoring title.

Given how special Doncic is as a player, it would likely be seen as a disappointment if he were to retire without a championship. With any luck, he’ll make sure that doesn’t happen, with the Purple and Gold being beneficiaries.

But if the Lakers are going to push for a title this coming season, it’s a safe bet that Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are going to be among the obstacles in the way. The Western Conference is likely to be loaded with contenders, so the Purple and Gold will have no choice but to truly rise to the top if they want to emerge and reach the NBA Finals.