Dominique Wilkins Says LeBron James Is A Sidekick For The Lakers After Luka Doncic Trade originally appeared on Fadeaway World.
As a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 21x All-Star, LeBron James has already proven himself as one of the game’s all-time greatest players, and his status as a superstar is undeniable. At 40 years old, however, the situation is changing for James, and he now finds himself in a reduced role in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade that shifted the Lakers’ balance of power.
Nobody knew the Lakers were on track to get Doncic at the time, but the news eventually broke after a week of negotiations between Rob Pelinka and Nico Harrison. Wilkins, like the rest of us, was shocked by the deal and believes his arrival in Los Angeles sets them on a path to contention for the next 10+ years.
When the Lakers acquired Anthony Davis in 2018, they had plans for him to step up and slowly take the reins of leadership from LeBron. In several years together, however, Davis always played more of a sidekick role while King James ran the show both on the court and in the locker room.
Now, Luka Doncic will take on those responsibilities, and it means LeBron will have to adjust just like Dwyane Wade did during their days on the Heat. With averages of 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game this past season, LeBron saw a dip in his numbers across the board, and that trend will likely continue as Luka takes full control of the offense next season.
At 26 years old and in the prime of his career, Doncic is much more equipped to lead the Lakers daily, just like he led the Mavericks for the first seven years of his career before his shocking trade out of town. As an elite scorer and brilliant passer, Doncic is an ideal choice to run the offense, and his ability to deliver in the clutch makes him an easy choice late in games.
At this stage of his career, the best way LeBron can help his team is by maximizing his role as the secondary star and finding a way to make Doncic’s life easier, however, he can. It’s uncharted territory for King James, who has been the main attraction in each of his previous seasons.
Whether he likes it or not, the Lakers are Luka’s team now, and all of their planning and team building will revolve around maximizing his game. As someone who just wants to win another championship, LeBron has embraced this new reality, and he’s doing everything he can to perfect his new role as quickly as possible.
Dolan, whom sources said was never a huge Thibodeau fan through the years, asked the questions in the meeting while Rose took a secondary role.
A couple of players felt like Thibodeau played the starters too many minutes and felt he had an inability to adjust, sources said, and another player said he didn’t feel like he could play for Thibodeau if the coach returned next season.
