Report: There were signs of ‘strain’ between LeBron and Lakers leading up to Luka era

The Luka Doncic era in Southern California has gotten off to an auspicious start. The Los Angeles Lakers have a record of 7-2 with him in the lineup and are on a roll right now, as they are winners of their last seven games.

The smooth start to the Doncic era has seemingly calmed any concerns about how LeBron James might’ve felt when the Lakers traded away Anthony Davis.

“It’s nuanced, but here’s the answer: At that time, it wasn’t clear just yet how James might react to his close friend and co-star being shipped out of town in exchange for a younger star with a similar skill set who would instantly become the most important player in the Lakers’ program,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote as he explained why he was initially skeptical about the fit of James and Doncic. “There were signs of strain in this partnership between James and the Lakers, with questions looming about whether either party would want to continue beyond this summer if there was no real hope in sight. It was fair to wonder how James might handle this new chapter ahead.

“As we now know, James has decided to embrace Dončić in the kind of whole-hearted way that could create one of the most entertaining and unique dynamic duos the game has ever seen. Not only is James somehow playing at an MVP-caliber level at this unprecedented late stage, but he’s meshing with Dončić as well as anyone could have imagined. The credit should be shared, to be sure, but first-year Lakers coach J.J. Redick and his well-respected staff deserve a major hat tip for the part they’ve played in making this work in the early going.”

It would be hard to blame James if he felt some type of way about the Lakers’ lack of playoff success in recent years. Since he led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title, Los Angeles has advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once and hasn’t appeared in the NBA Finals.

This season, the Lakers were playing well but not exactly dominating before they dealt for Doncic. Los Angeles had a record of 28-19 prior to the trade.

Since the deal, Los Angeles has looked like a team that may very well have what it takes to be the last squad standing in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Doncic has added a new dimension to the Lakers’ offense, and the team has managed to stay afloat on the defensive end of the floor without Davis.

The Lakers have a big test looming on their schedule that will give fans of the team an opportunity to see how Los Angeles stacks up against the defending champions. Los Angeles will take on its loathed rival in the Boston Celtics on March 8. The Lakers won their first game of the season against Boston back in January.

Doncic might be motivated to have a big game against Boston, as the Celtics sent him home in the 2024 NBA Finals. His Dallas Mavericks lost in a gentleman’s sweep, and Doncic looked off his game and out of sorts for much of the series.

But before the Lakers face the Celtics, L.A. has a date with the New York Knicks coming up that the team can’t overlook.