Lakers Face Title Pressure as Doncic Era Begins, Smith Warns
WHO:
NY Post - Kobe Bryant learned Slovenian to trash-talk Luka Dončić, then a Mavericks star, before attending a Lakers game with his daughter Gianna.
NY Post - The Los Angeles Lakers expect to contend for a championship during the Luka Dončić era.
Pro Football Network - ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith assessed the Lakers’ prospects after LeBron James’ exit.
WHAT:
Pro Football Network - Luka Dončić addressed Lakers fans in a full-page Los Angeles Times advertisement before the season opener.
Pro Football Network - Several fans welcomed Dončić’s message, while one fan remained skeptical.
NY Post - Dončić has become the face of the Lakers and has won over Los Angeles basketball fans.
NY Post - The Lakers expect to be a championship-level team in 2026-27.
Pro Football Network - Smith said the Lakers should have kept LeBron James and predicted they would not advance beyond the Western Conference semifinals in their first season after James’ exit.
WHERE:
Pro Football Network - Smith’s prediction concerns the Lakers’ progress in the Western Conference playoffs.
WHEN:
NY Post - Bryant attended the game in 2019.
NY Post - The Lakers’ championship-level expectations are for the 2026-27 season.
WHY:
Pro Football Network - Smith’s bleak outlook is framed around the Lakers’ first season after LeBron James’ departure and the start of the Luka Dončić era.
HOW:
NY Post - The Lakers’ preseason matchups against the Warriors were presented as a source of lessons ahead of the coming test.
NY Post - Bryant used Slovenian to trash-talk Dončić from his courtside seat.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 18:11 UTC)
Luka Dončić has become the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and is winning over the team’s fans as the franchise begins a new chapter after LeBron James’ departure. In a full-page Los Angeles Times advertisement ahead of the season opener, Dončić spoke directly to Lakers supporters. Several fans welcomed his message, though at least one remained skeptical. The Lakers expect to contend for a championship during the Dončić era, with championship-level expectations for the 2026-27 season. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, however, said the team should have kept James and predicted the Lakers would not get past the Western Conference semifinals in their first season without him. Meanwhile, Dončić has a connection to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant: Bryant learned Slovenian so he could trash-talk Dončić when he was a Mavericks star. Bryant later attended a Lakers game with his daughter Gianna, using the language from courtside.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 16:12 UTC)
Luka Dončić has become the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and won over the team’s fans, as the franchise looks toward a championship-contending future. The Lakers expect to be a title-level team in the 2026-27 season, marking the start of the Dončić era. But ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith has a much less optimistic view of the team’s first season after LeBron James’ departure. Smith said the Lakers should have kept James and predicted they would not make it past the Western Conference semifinals. Dončić’s connection to the Lakers also recalls a memorable moment with Kobe Bryant. In 2019, Bryant attended a Lakers game with his daughter Gianna and used Slovenian from his courtside seat to trash-talk Dončić, who was then a Mavericks star.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 13:15 UTC)
The Lakers expect to be championship contenders in the 2026-27 season as the Luka Dončić era begins. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said the team should have kept LeBron James. He predicts the Lakers won’t advance beyond the Western Conference semifinals in their first season after James’ departure.