It is safe to say that Luka Doncic does not plan to play until 41 like LeBron
The Los Angeles Lakers wouldn’t have pulled off a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night if it hadn’t LeBron Jamesthat is certain. Luka Doncic he may have drilled a dagger triple to put the game out of reach for the Pelicans, but he did James who made a cushion for the Lakers on top to start the fourth quarter of their 111-103 win — with King finishing with 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists on the night.
It’s easy to forget that James is already 41 years old. Even James has to remind everyone of that he is, indeed, a geriatrician by NBA standards. But the Lakers star is one of them. Doncic acknowledged that fact imagining myself at 41 and thinking of myself as someone who can no longer walk straight.
“For sure, it’s just crazy. I’ll probably be 41, limping around,” Doncic said with a laugh during his postgame presser, via @ohnohedidnt24 on X (formerly Twitter).
Luka on 41-year-old LeBron:
“I’ll probably be limping around at 41” pic.twitter.com/1comAamFHKS
— Oh no, it’s not (@ohnohedidnt24) January 7, 2026
James is as close to a divine human sports specimen as we can get, and it’s not hard for Doncic to think this way when he’s not the most athletic NBA star.
Luka Doncic’s game should age nicely for the Lakers
Doncic won’t turn 27 until later in February, so he’s not exactly in a position to think about his aging curve. He is in the midst of his prime for the Lakers, and should stay that way for the foreseeable future.
However, considering Dallas Mavericks health concerns regarding Doncic that led to his eventual trade nearly a year ago, one would think that Doncic would be the kind of star that falls off a cliff when he gets older. But given that he never relied on top speed and vertical in the first place, he should be able to age gracefully, at least on offense. Defense is another matter entirely, but that’s never been his forte anyway.
2026-01-07 07:38:00
