Magic sends message to Luka: ‘In Los Angeles…we expect our superstars to lead us to a championship’

The Los Angeles Lakers are synonymous with NBA championships at this point, as they’ve won 17 in total over the course of their history, including their Minneapolis days.

The franchise is also in select company in the sense that it’s one of only two teams in NBA history to have won 10-plus championships. The Boston Celtics hold the record with 18, and they most recently won it all in 2024.

Lakers legend Magic Johnson reminded star guard Luka Doncic of the exceedingly high expectations that are inherent with being on the team and said that Lakers fans expect their superstar players to lead the team to a title.

Doncic came up miles short of delivering the Lakers a championship in his first playoff run with the storied franchise. Los Angeles ended the 2024-25 regular season as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, yet it won just one playoff game before it got booted from the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers bowed out in a gentleman’s sweep to the Minnesota Timberwolves despite the fact that the Slovenian had a great series individually, as he averaged 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest.

There is a long list of superstar players over the years who have won at least one title during their time playing for the Lakers, and maybe the most relevant example is Doncic’s current running mate LeBron James.

James helped the Lakers achieve the NBA’s ultimate goal in 2020 in just his second season playing for the organization and his first season playing alongside star big man Anthony Davis.

Doncic might have his work cut out for him if he wants to follow in James’ footsteps and win a championship in his second season as a Laker, as it’s debatable whether or not the team as currently constructed has what it takes to win the 2026 title.

Hopefully, the Lakers will have an active offseason and add some upgrades to make a title push more realistic. At the top of the Lakers’ offseason checklist should be to acquire a capable starting big man, as their lack of size was glaring during their short time in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.