Luka Dončić has always earned fans’ respect.
So much so that before Kobe Bryant attended a Lakers game as a fan in 2019 alongside his daughter, Gianna, he learned some Slovenian so he could trash-talk the then-Mavericks’ superstar from his courtside seat.
Seven years later, Dončić is now the face of the 17-time champion Lakers, the franchise with which Bryant spent his entire 20-season career.
“We can say that it was meant to be,” Dončić told the California Post in an exclusive interview.
Dončić has consistently mesmerized anyone who has watched him play, even a five-time champion with the Lakers who showed his admiration with attempted subterfuge.
None of this is lost on Dončić. In fact, if there’s one thing that’s nearly as important to him as winning his first NBA championship, it’s inspiring anyone who watches him play, something that has long come naturally to him.
Dončić had a cult following when he became the youngest player in EuroLeague history to win the MVP Award at age 19 en route to leading Real Madrid to a championship.
While playing for the Mavericks, he was so beloved that his fans were likened to “Swifties,” the nickname for Taylor Swift’s passionate fanbase. When Dončić was stunningly traded to the Lakers in February 2025, Mavericks fans were so devastated that they protested outside American Airlines Center, canceled season tickets, chanted for then-Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to be fired (he was nine months later), and even famously brought a casket to the arena to mourn their superstar’s departure.
Now Dončić is in Los Angeles, a city with 12 professional sports teams and Hollywood.
He’s a different type of superstar than the Lakers have ever had: He’s European, he’s a team-first player and he’s shy. So, he’s the opposite of other fan favorites, such as Magic Johnson or Bryant.
The big question?
Can Dončić win over LA?
It’s something LeBron James struggled with despite playing eight seasons for the Lakers and leading the franchise to its first championship in 10 years in 2020 before he left for the 76ers in free agency in July.
Austin Reaves believes things will play out differently for Dončić.
“I think with the Bron situation it was a little different just because Bron and Kobe were battling for the best player in the NBA for multiple years, so Lakers fans at the time probably hated LeBron,” Reaves told the California Post. “Not that they didn’t accept him when he was here, but they still probably had the “Kobe is better” type of mentality. But they don’t have that with Luka. He was kind of after Kobe. They don’t have a reason not to embrace him like a Kobe or someone else who was a Laker legend.”
Dončić is doing his part to endear himself to Laker fans.
Last season, he led the league in scoring (33.5 points), was third in assists (8.3) and finished fourth in MVP voting.
And off the court, he has poured himself into contributing to the LA community. That includes committing $500,000 to fire recovery efforts through the Luka Dončić Foundation in February 2025, partnering with Jordan Brand to pay for Lakers fans’ parking near Crypto.com Arena before his first home game against the Mavericks, paying for the entire cost of restoring a vandalized mural of Kobe and Gianna in downtown in April 2025 and donating $5 million to 77 young athletes around the world after signing a three-year, $165 million extension with the Lakers in August 2025.
Ahead of the Lakers’ season opener against the Warriors on Wednesday, Dončić is funding free Metro Bike Share rides for 30 minutes. He also took out a full-page ad in the LA Times promising fans that the Lakers will give everything they have this year.
“I think it’s just very important to me to do a lot of connection with the fans,” Dončić told the California Post. “Before every game at home, I sign things and I take pictures. When we go on the road, I take pictures. I think for me, it’s giving back to the fans the way they supported me. The way they care for me. It’s very important to give back to them.”
In many ways, the Lakers struck gold with Dončić.
Not only do they have someone who’s an impossible-to-solve puzzle for defenders with his constant changing of pace, but they have a player who’s deeply loyal.
Dončić wanted to spend his entire career in Dallas, an increasingly rare sentiment for superstars who are quick to jump franchises while chasing championships. When Dončić was dealt to the Lakers, he threw his phone across the room. He felt hurt. Shocked. Betrayed.
But over the last season and a half, a dramatic shift has occurred.
“After that, at training camp last year, I felt I was where I belonged,” Dončić told the California Post. “I feel very good in LA. I’m very excited. Very happy. Obviously it’s a beautiful place to live. But just being with the Lakers organization, being a part of it, it’s such an honor. It’s amazing to be here.”
Dončić has embraced the whiplash-inducing change he never envisioned.
When asked if he wants to retire as a Laker, he didn’t hesitate.
“Hopefully, yeah,” Dončić told the California Post. “But as you know in this NBA business, you never know what’s going to happen. But I feel like I’ve found something here that’s very comfortable for me. And hopefully [that happens].”
His buy-in was obvious last spring when he had a stunning stretch in March, averaging 37.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.4 assists while carrying the Lakers to a 15-2 record. And it was undeniable over the summer when he paid for his teammates to fly to Slovenia where he hosted a four-day mini camp so they could build chemistry and get to know the real him.
“He didn’t choose this,” Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean told the California Post of Dončić getting traded to Los Angeles. “But he’s embracing it. And I think when he looks back on his career, this opportunity is going to be one of the best things that ever happened to him, becoming a Laker.”
Dončić’s popularity boomed overnight when he was dealt to the Lakers. It became one of the biggest national stories at the time — and not just in sports.
Several companies took advantage of the moment, including Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which wrote on Instagram, “It’s not like we traded Luka,” in response to the backlash it was receiving for ending its free checked bag policy.
Dončić was front and center. He was a buzzword. And he was also the clear No. 1 priority in a locker room he was sharing with James, who’s arguably the greatest player of all-time.
It was a lot.
Especially for someone like Dončić, who prefers hardwood floors over red carpets and sunlight over spotlights. When asked what he wants fans to most know about him, he flashed a shy smile.
“I’m a very simple guy, probably just stay home mostly,” Dončić told the California Post. “I’m just a chill guy, a simple guy.”
He’s not outspoken. He’s not the type of player who advocates for himself. He’s not statuesque. He’s not LA. But ironically, that’s why LA is falling in love with him.
“He’s not the fastest or can’t jump the highest, so people can see themselves in him,” said Michael Morales, a 42-year-old longtime Lakers fan. “And that makes it exciting to watch him score 50 points on the huge guys out there.”
Dončić lets his play do the talking.
Last March, he became the first player to average 40 points over six road games since Michael Jordan in 1986. Yet he fell in NBA.com’s MVP rankings at the time from No. 2 to No. 4. Still, he declined to advocate for himself, saying, “I never did that, so I’m not going to.”
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t deeply want to win an MVP award, especially as the face of one of the most globally celebrated franchises in sports.
“It would definitely mean a lot,” Dončić said. “Obviously a championship, that’s what you play for every game. That’s what you train for everyday. But obviously it would be nice to win the MVP also. Not everybody can say they have an MVP, so obviously that would be nice.
“But that comes with the team first. If you don’t play good, you’re never going to win championships or MVP. So, we’ve got to play good. I’m very excited to go to war with these people. I think we had a great training camp and we’re ready to go.”
Doncic’s fans have come to appreciate his understated nature as part of his charm. On the court, he’s a trash-talking, offensive wizard. Off it, he’s a quiet guy who loves his friends, family and golf.
So, how is somebody like that supposed to win over Lakers fans accustomed to charismatic superstars who love cameras as much as Hollywood actors?
It’s a hard question to answer.
But then again, Doncic got the stamp of approval from Bryant, who was known to be very stingy with his respect.
It’s something Doncic often thinks about as he dons a purple and gold jersey.
“I was playing and he talked to me, it was actually insane,” Dončić told the California Post. “I was a little bit starstruck to get that respect from the guy that Kobe was which was unbelievable to me.”
It’s something that left a deep impression on Doncic.
It’s something that seems almost prophetic now.