The Los Angeles Lakers possess what is arguably the NBA's best superstar duo right now in LeBron James and Luka Doncic, and it promises to be an even more dynamic superstar duo than James and Anthony Davis were.
While the two are still learning how to play with each other, the early results are promising. James has 25 points and eight assists and Doncic put up 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in Saturday's big win over the Memphis Grizzlies. As a team, the Lakers scored 134 points, which nearly matched their highest output in points with Doncic in the lineup.
Doncic isn't just someone who scores lots of points, sucks in the opposing team's defense like an industrial-strength vacuum and hits the open man. According to James, he also breathes tons of confidence into his teammates. James made this comment on the first episode of the new season of his "Mind the Game" podcast, which he's now co-hosting with Hall of Famer Steve Nash.
“Because he plays the game how I always wanted to inspire the next generation to play the game. There’s nothing predetermined. If you have two guys on you, there’s a numbers game. If you have the advantage and there’s a guy that can’t guard you or you’re able to beat him and then a guy traps the box or another guy sinks, I’m able to make the passes or make the reads before they happen. I’ve always loved the players that breathe so much confidence into his teammates that make them believe that they’re actually better than what the [expletive] they really are. You did that, Luka has done that for seven years, Chris Paul did that when he was down there in New Orleans and doing that for that team down in New Orleans. I’ve been able to do that with a few of my teams, I mean, I don’t go to the NBA Finals in 2006 with that team if I’m not able to make them believe that they’re greater than what they are. Just give them that confidence… And it makes them ultimately, they would do anything for you. They would run through a wall for you. We saw it unfortunately one year when one of your teammates got suspended in the postseason when you get chucked to the scorer’s table. But that’s because you’ve given them so much confidence and so much belief, if you [expletive] touch Steve, I feel like you’re going after me. Y’all built that bond, you know what I’m saying? Luka has that and he learned that from growing up in Slovenia to heading over to Madrid and learning the game the right way and playing at a professional level at what, 13-14 years old? And he brought that same model and same game to the NBA from day one.”
There is an old saying that true superstars make their teammates better, and now the Lakers have two such players. Their offensive ceiling seems very high, and getting as close to that ceiling as possible as soon as possible may be the biggest key to them having a real shot at reaching the NBA Finals this season.
The first episode of the new season of the "Mind the Game" podcast drops on Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire:
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