Doncic left Dallas for Los Angeles in a secretly executed trade, shocking the league and leaving him briefly stunned before embracing L.A. with a three-year, $165 million extension that locks him in as the Lakers’ centerpiece. Buss recalled the moment, highlighting the emotional processing and Kobe Bryant’s lingering connection to Luka’s Lakers path.

Now dedicated to bringing a title to L.A., Doncic is set to anchor a surrounding cast the Lakers hope to assemble around him. The note on his EuroBasket performance and Buss’s tribute to Kobe reinforce the franchise’s long-term bet on Luka and the work ahead to assemble the right supporting pieces.