JJ Redick Praises Luka Doncic’s Growth As Leader

Luka Doncic completed his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26, and it’s hard to argue it as anything other than a success. Doncic was named to the All-NBA First Team while head coach JJ Redick got his second-straight 50-win season and the most wins (53) in a Lakers campaign since 2010-11.

Doncic suffered a season-ending hamstring injury on April 2, but the Lakers still managed to advance past the first round of the playoffs before ultimately being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder. That might not have been possible if not for the leadership of Doncic, according to Redick.

“I think he made a commitment very early on, going all the way back to last offseason, with the off-court relationship development part of being a leader,” Redick said of Doncic at his end-of-season press conference. “Part of getting people to play hard with you and play alongside you is developing relationships, and he was very committed this year to developing those relationships both on and off the court.

“I think him being more vocal in-game, in film sessions, whatever it looked like. And I do think going back to last season, the trade and just the disruption that caused and I think in some ways, confusion, I don’t think we got the best version of Luka the person. He was great (last season), but he was phenomenal this year as a teammate and a leader, and obviously as a player. The guy had a Tier 1 season relative to the rest of the league.”

Doncic’s 2024-25 season was rough in many ways. He wasn’t in good basketball shape to start the year, and that only got worse when he suffered a hamstring injury. Then, while recovering, he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers. He returned, but was clearly not his usual self and the Lakers were pummeled in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

His return to form in 2025-26 was remarkable, as he finished fourth in MVP voting — with many arguing he should have finished higher — and won the scoring title. He did that while being a true leader for the Lakers on and off the floor, something he wasn’t necessarily known for in Dallas.

That looks to carry over to 2026-27, when Doncic is expected to lead a team more directly built for his strengths.

James Worthy discusses how roster should be built around Luka Doncic

Lakers legend James Worthy mentioned shooting, playmaking and defense when discussing the archetypes needed to build a contender around Doncic. That is similar to what the Mavericks had in the 2023-24 campaign, and something L.A. may look to replicate this summer.