LeBron James praises 'savant' Lakers teammate Luka Doncic

Throughout his illustrious career, LeBron James has shared the court with some of the best players in the NBA. Now, as he approaches his 23rd year in the league, he will get his first full season operating as Luka Doncic's teammate.

James recently spoke of his excitement in sharing the floor with Doncic during an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

"I just love the way he approaches the game," James said. "I love the way he plays the game. More importantly, man, he’s just a great [expletive] guy...Big-time savant of the game. I always use IQ as a measuring point in basketball—guys who can think the game. There are so many guys in our league who can play the game, but to be able to think the game as well puts you at another level." 

James and Doncic shared the court for the second half of the 2024-25 season. When on the floor together, the Los Angeles Lakers outscored opponents by 3.4 points per 100 possessions. However, the defensive side of the floor was a concern (allowing 117 points per 100 possessions) with the Lakers ranking in the 33rd percentile. 

GM Rob Pelinka has improved Los Angeles Lakers' roster this summer

Given the Lakers' concerning defensive numbers, GM Rob Pelinka has made moves to improve the rotation at JJ Redick's disposal. Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart have all joined the franchise. Each new addition can bring something to both sides of the floor.

As such, the Lakers roster should have a significant amount of balance compared to last season. If Redick can figure out how to get the best out of his team — especially on defense — the Lakers could emerge as a contending-level roster. Of course, both James and Doncic will need to remain healthy and play at an elite level for that to be a viable possibility. 

LeBron James is likely taking retirement a year at a time

In recent years, every offseason has been filled with speculation as to how much longer James has left in the NBA. After all, he will turn 41 during the upcoming season. In a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explained how James will likely approach his retirement from the NBA on a year-by-year basis. 

"Based on my conversations, I honestly think they don’t know," Windhorst said. "As far as I know, he’s honestly going year to year."