Jeanie Buss Calls Luka Doncic the Perfect Global Ambassador for Lakers Basketball
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Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss believes newly extended guard Luka Doncic embodies the franchise’s identity on an international stage.
Buss and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka traveled to Poland this summer to watch Doncic compete for Slovenia in FIBA EuroBasket 2025, just weeks after the 26-year-old finalized a three-year, $165 million contract extension on Aug. 2 at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo.
“He just looked comfortable,” Buss told The Athletic. “His focus was on basketball instead of something else being in the back of mind. He’s less burdened; he’s got clarity. He knows where he wants to be. He knows where he is now.”
The Lakers acquired Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in February. Team officials said the mid-season relocation weighed on the four-time All-NBA guard, but Buss added that the offseason trip confirmed he has settled in both personally and professionally.
While the Lakers have featured global icons such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, Doncic is the first European player positioned as the face of the organization. Buss called that distinction a “global thread” connecting the franchise to its worldwide fan base.
“I can’t think of a better representation of Laker basketball than Luka and what he brings to the game,” she said. “Seeing him in a European tournament felt similar to Kobe or LeBron in the Olympics, or Magic Johnson with the Dream Team.”
Doncic, who averaged 29.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists after arriving in Los Angeles, has said the 2025-26 campaign will mark the true beginning of his Lakers tenure.
Source: Lakers Nation
