“He shows up 10 hours before the game”: Luka Doncic leaves LeBron James in laughter as he spills on Lakers star’s ‘wow’ factor

Luka Doncic joined the LA Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in a trade that shocked the league. While the season eventually didn’t go as planned, Doncic had a memorable time in Los Angeles.

One of those memorable moments was playing alongside future Hall of Famer and teammate LeBron James. Luka Doncic appeared on a Sunday episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast and shared a standout moment playing alongside James to co-host Steve Nash, leaving the four-time NBA champion in splits.

Nash asked Doncic about a moment that made him go “wow” about James, to which the Slovenian star replied:

“First of all, he shows up like 10 hours before the game. I came into the arena and he was already done working out.”

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Doncic was traded to the Lakers from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster deal on Feb. 1. Alongside Doncic, the Lakers got Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from Dallas. The Mavericks in turn received forward Anthony Davis and guard Max Christie.

The Lakers made it to the playoffs after finishing the regular season as the No. 3 seed in the West with a record of 50-32. They ended up losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs.

Luka Doncic finished the regular season with averages of 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Additionally, he shot 45.0% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc.

Luka Doncic on his other journey before basketball

Luka Doncic on the “Mind the Game” podcast spoke about how he developed a passion for sports, particularly basketball. He mentioned that he enjoyed playing various sports other than basketball while growing up.

However, his interest in basketball grew when he started working as a ball boy for Olimpija's EuroLeague games.

“Yeah, I was playing a lot of sports. Tennis, soccer, and basketball were the main ones," Doncic said on Mind The Game. “I played volleyball, so for me, it was fun just to do sports. …

"I was a ball boy for Olimpija. That’s how I used my time to just get into basketball. They’d let us play before the game, at halftime, and after the game. I was just shooting.”

Now a star in the NBA, in seven years in the league, he is a five-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA player, having won the Rookie of the Year.

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About the author

Ubong Richard Archibong

Ubong Richard Archibong is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over a year's experience in the field with FirstSportz.

Ubong is an LA Lakers fan, and he grew up watching Kobe Bryant taking on everyone with his Mamba mentality. Ubong's love for the Lakers hit another level when his favorite player, LeBron James, joined LA from the Cavs. Other than LeBron, Ubong likes Anthony Edwards, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Phil Jackson.

Beyond the court, Ubong is a traveler at heart and a Chelsea fan, always ready for the thrill and tension they bring. When not working, Ubong likes traveling and volunteering.

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