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Dave McMenamin
LOS ANGELES — As the ink was still drying on the three-year, $165 million contract extension Luka Doncic signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, Doncic’s phone started buzzing with the player who has been the face of the franchise the past seven seasons: LeBron James.
James congratulated Doncic on the deal with a video call, sources familiar with the exchange confirmed to ESPN, after the contract was signed and before Doncic participated in a news conference at the Lakers’ practice facility Saturday.
James was not among the half-dozen teammates to attend the news conference or the group trip from L.A. to Las Vegas on Saturday night to attend the Backstreet Boys concert at Sphere. But the call continued the support James has shown for Doncic since the Lakers shocked the basketball world by trading for the 26-year-old superstar in February.
“Luka has been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now,” James said on Feb. 4 in his first public comments after his longtime teammate, Anthony Daviswas traded to Dallas to acquire Doncic.
The Lakers went 16-7 in the games James and Doncic played together down the stretch in the regular season.
When asked about Doncic’s impending contract decision following the Lakers’ first-round loss to the Minnesota TimberwolvesJames told ESPN he wanted Doncic to stick around — but he would not attempt to sway his decision.
“I hope, obviously, [he stays long term],” James told ESPN on April 30. “Laker fans f—ing love him here. L.A. has accepted him. We love him as a teammate, as a brother. But ultimately, he’s got to make a decision for him. S—, I ain’t going to be around much longer.”
Though James’ sentiments toward Doncic have been consistent, with sources telling ESPN that both players hold respect and reverence for each other, James’ thoughts about the Lakers are not as clear-cut.
James opted into the final year of his contract worth $52.6 million in June, setting up his record-setting 23rd season in the league in 2025-26 with the Lakers.
But when James opted in, his agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul issued a statement to ESPN’s Shams Charania that opened the door for speculation about the how the final chapter of the four-time champion’s career would play out.
“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN on June 29. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.
“We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what’s best for him.”
When asked Saturday about Paul’s statement and James’ future, Rob Pelinka, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager, said the team and James’ camp remain copacetic.
“All the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, Rich in particular, have been positive and supportive,” Pelinka said. “The dialogue with [Paul] has been open and constant.”
As for what comes next for James beyond next season, Pelinka said the team would take the 40-year-old star’s lead.
“I think the No. 1 thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s going to play,” Pelinka said. “We want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable on that. I think that’s really important. But if he had a chance to retire a Laker, that would be great.”
NBA reporter Marc Stein first reported James’ efforts to reach Doncic for a congratulatory call on Saturday.
