Luka Doncic Declares Championship the Only Acceptable Outcome for Lakers in 2025-26
luka-doncic-sets-championship-target-for-lakers-2025-26-season
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic said the franchise is entering the 2025-26 campaign with one objective: winning the NBA title.
“Championship, that is our goal. That should always be our goal,” Doncic told Sports Central LA. “Obviously we went out in the first round, but our goal is championship.”
The statement comes after an offseason in which Los Angeles added center Deandre Ayton, guard Marcus Smart and forward Jake LaRavia despite limited financial flexibility. The new pieces are intended to bolster a roster that won 50 games last year but was eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round.
Doncic arrived in a mid-season trade last February and was quickly inserted into first-year head coach JJ Redick’s system. Alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the Slovenian star showed flashes of an explosive offense, though the Lakers struggled with size mismatches against Minnesota.
With Ayton, Smart and LaRavia now in place—and all future trade assets intact—the front office retains flexibility to keep adjusting the roster. Redick, entering his second season on the sideline, is expected to refine schemes that maximize the Doncic-James pairing.
Off the court, Doncic recently appeared in the newest NBA on Prime commercial, continuing a tradition of Lakers stars landing high-profile endorsement spots.
Source: Lakers Nation