For the last 20 years, LeBron James has been the face of the NBA. Now, with the veteran’s career slowly drawing to a close, the NBA Media is scrambling to anoint his successor, with Anthony Edwards often cited as the logical replacement.
Of course, other high-level talents have a claim to the top spot in the league. Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are all in the running to be the league’s next poster boy. However, when speaking to the media following the Los Angeles Lakers 111-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, Feb. 27, LeBron questioned why any player would want to be pinned as the face of the NBA.
“Why do you wanna be the face of the league when all the people that cover and talk about our game on a day-to-day basis s*** on everybody? Obviously, I didn’t ask for it. I feel Ant,” LeBron said. “I understand. This is weird energy when it comes to that.”
Players and media have a strained relationship. Some of the national media members lean into hot topics and debatable narratives to drive views, regardless of how those topics impact how the wider fanbase perceives a player. As such, it makes sense that players would be reluctant to open themselves up to further criticism, especially when a lot of it is unwarranted.
Lakers Luka Doncic Aiming to End Scoring Struggles
Since joining the Lakers ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Doncic has struggled when shooting the ball. Doncic went 6-of-20 from the field against the Timberwolves, hitting just one of his nine three-point shots. Since suiting up in a Purple and Gold jersey, Doncic is 11-of-49 from deep.
When speaking to the media after the game, Doncic admitted that his shot needs to improve, and that he’s looking forward to figuring it out.
“It’s a big thing for me,” Doncic said. “You’ve got to go through a lot of doubts to get to the highest points. It’s a big challenge for me, just getting back into my rhythm, making those easier shots for me. It’s a big challenge for me, and I look forward to it.”
Despite his shooting struggles, Doncic ended the night against Minnesota with 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. He also got to the line 12 times. When he starts hitting his shots again, the Lakers will be a scary opponent to deal with.
Lakers Handing Luka Doncic Keys to Offense
During a postgame news conference following the Lakers’ 123-100 win over the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 22, head coach JJ Redick shared his belief that Doncic should be running the Lakers’ offense.
“I think Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick told reporters. “And Bron and AR (Austin Reaves), because we’re going to stagger everybody, they’re going to have their time to be on the ball. But all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players, and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in the blender.”
Doncic is the future of the Lakers franchise. Both he and LeBron have already proven they can get the best out of each other when sharing the court. When Doncic returns to his best, the Lakers could emerge as potential championship contenders, either this season or next.
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