LeBron James asks for Luka Doncic to be introduced last in Lakers’ win over Jazz
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LOS ANGELES — Before the Los Angeles Lakers’ 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz, LeBron James insisted that visiting star Luka Doncic receive the final player introduction, a slot traditionally reserved for the home team’s marquee name, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic.
James took the floor first, leaving the closing spotlight for Doncic. The gesture came on the night of James’s season debut, his first game action in nearly seven months.
The 19-time All-Star finished with 11 points and 12 assists while shooting 4-for-7 from the field. Afterward, he said the game pace “tested” him but added, “As the game went on, my wind got a lot better. Caught my second wind, caught my third wind. Rhythm is still coming back.”
Doncic responded to the special introduction with a game-high 37 points and 10 assists, maintaining his position as the NBA’s leading scorer.
The pairing echoed last season, when the Lakers went 15-8 in contests featuring both players. James, who exercised his $52.6 million player option for 2023-24, is set to enter unrestricted free agency next summer for the first time since 2018. Doncic has publicly said he wants James to finish his career in Los Angeles, according to Ashish Mathur of the Dallas Hoops Journal.
The Lakers’ win moved them to 1-0 while Utah dropped to 0-1.
Source: Hoops Wire
