The NBA MVP conversation has primarily revolved around last season’s winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, three-time recipient Nikola Jokic and Defensive Player of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama, but Luka Doncic is forcing voters to acknowledge his own candidacy.
For those speculating whether the Los Angeles Lakers are good without LeBron James, they now have the answer. For all the good reasons, the Akron-born superstar has heard the noise.
When LeBron James sat out the first few weeks of the 2025-26 season, a narrative began in the NBA circles: the Lakers are better off without him. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were flying, and when the King returned from his sciatica issue, it took him time to get settled, which, in some ways, affected the Lakers’ offense.
Heroes run the NBA, but every story also needs a villain. For some franchises, it's a particularly hated opponent, but every now and then, it's one of their own.
This season’s NBA MVP race is only getting excited and some of the veterans have made their choice. More than ever before, Luka Doncic is doing everything an MVP candidate is supposed to do.
Luka Doncic scored 60 points -- the most ever recorded against the Heat -- as the Los Angeles Lakers won their eighth straight game, defeating host Miami 134-126 on Thursday night.
Not all wins are created equal and Thursday’s was no ordinary victory for the Lakers. There’s a level of seriousness that came with that performance that separates good teams from great teams.
Basketball has changed so, so much since it was first played in the late 1800s. The NBA has a lot to do with this, and there are even a handful of players who can be credited with influencing significant shifts on their own.
Luka Doncic set the Los Angeles Lakers’ single-season record for most made 3-pointers in the team’s win against the Miami Heat on Thursday. Doncic surpassed D’Angelo Russell’s previous record of 226 and will get a chance to add to his total as the Lakers have 12 games remaining during the 2025-26 season.
The Lakers have found something. Seven straight wins. Ten of their last 11, and not against lightweights. This has come against playoff-level competition, the kind you’ll see again in a few weeks, writes Michael Duarte of the California Post.
After airing his displeasure last month with the way the Lakers were using him, Deandre Ayton now says he’s fully committed to succeeding in his role and helping the team win, writes Dan Woike of The Athletic.
Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton seemingly confirmed what many have said about his effort in recent weeks. Ayton said he had something of an epiphany earlier this week amid a temporarily reduced role and realized he was not fulfilling his role with the Lakers.