The Luka Era begins: inside the transformation powering the post-LeBron Lakers

Itâ€s been nine and a half months since the trade that rocked the sports world was broken via a Shams Charania tweet that prompted the majority of the basketball news-breakerâ€s followers to assume heâ€d been hacked. Fresh off of a trip to the NBA finals, the young Slovenian superstar Luka DonÄić was shipped off in the middle of the night to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, and the NBA as we know it was changed forever. The fallout from one of the most shocking trades in sports history is still evolving in real-time: disgraced Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who spearheaded the transaction, was let go by the team last week, in a move Mavericks fans have been loudly clamoring for since news broke that their homegrown franchise player was being abruptly cast to sea. But on the other side of the coin was a mixed blessing and a new beginning. But on the other side of the coin was a mixed blessing and a new beginning: DonÄić, who had imagined spending his entire career in Dallas like mentor Dirk Nowitzki, suddenly found himself recast as the face of the NBAâ€s most iconic franchise under the bright lights of Hollywood. And, as it turns out, the future is now.

While DonÄićâ€s breakup with the Mavericks was both very public and very messy (the team was not shy about vocalizing its reasoning for the move, and painting the 26-year-old in quite an unflattering light in the process), the silver linings showed themselves quickly. He might not have considered himself suited for the Los Angeles spotlight, but with his flair for the dramatic and a feel for the sportâ€s theater, playing for such a high-profile franchise proved an unexpectedly good fit. And it couldnâ€t have worked out better for the Lakers: the team had been staring down the barrel of an uncertain future, with the retirement of 40-year-old LeBron James looming, and Anthony Davis†injury history creating a cloud of doubt around his ability to be the No 1 option in the eventual aftermath. Enter stage right: a ticket to franchise salvation, equipped with the newfound motivation that can only be borne from being publicly and mercilessly dragged through the mud.

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Of course, Jamesâ€s retirement has been far less imminent than anyone anticipated; his unprecedented longevity and level of play continue to shatter records and defy basketball logic. So instead of a passing of the torch, the months after DonÄićâ€s midseason arrival looked more like a torch collaboration. But Jamesâ€s bout with sciatica this summer, which sidelined him for the first month of the season and caused him to miss the first opening night of his 23-year career, brought about a dress rehearsal of sorts for the post-LeBron Lakers era. The roster remains a bit clunky, but DonÄić is beginning to lean into his newfound leadership role – and those around him are convinced heâ€s the man for the job. And not only because his 34.4 points per game lead the NBA by a wide margin. The Lakers are 10–4, fourth in the Western Conference behind only Oklahoma City, Denver and Houston, and the prospect of life after LeBron suddenly looks, well, not so scary after all.

DonÄić has always been special, and the brightest minds in the NBA have recognized it from the start. When the Miami Heat visit Los Angeles in early November, I ask Erik Spoelstra what he believes sets DonÄić apart as a transcendent talent capable of carrying a franchise. “Just an incredible competitive spirit,†he tells me. “I remember the first time I saw him play – Iâ€ll never forget it. I went to watch Goran Dragić at EuroBasket, so I stopped by their training camp. Luka was 18, and everyone in the gym was stunned by how cerebral his game already was. He could make all the rotations, all the reads, just pick you apart. His fundamentals, his footwork, his skill level – all elite. But more than anything, even then, he could rise to the level of competition. Thatâ€s what all the great ones do: competition brings out something most players canâ€t reach.â€

“Quiet†was the word Lakers guard Marcus Smart used to describe DonÄićâ€s leadership style in the early days of the season, shortly after the former Defensive Player of the Year had logged his first few games with his new team. “He leads by example,†Smart said at the time. But something is starting to shift for DonÄić, whose career-long approach to leadership has largely been, as Smart suggests, to be brilliant without saying much.

Thereâ€s a newfound maturity and commitment in DonÄićâ€s approach this year, even if he still shows more youthful exuberance than almost anyone in the league. It became apparent as early as the summer, when rumblings spread that heâ€d undertaken a drastic overhaul of his diet – followed soon after by a striking Menâ€s Health feature revealing a noticeably leaner, more sculpted DonÄić. The transformation (and the PR push around it) was almost certainly fueled by the Mavericks†smear campaign in the wake of his exit, which sought to question everything from his work ethic to his relationship with alcohol.

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Off the court, DonÄić is soft-spoken and even-keeled, happiest laying low with his wife, his baby daughter and his video games. On the court heâ€s a demon: one of the leagueâ€s fiercest competitors, a player who seems to take genuine delight in tormenting opponents. For all his gifts, that almost manic competitiveness may be his defining trait. And seeing it up close makes something obvious: there was never a version of reality in which being cast off the way he was in February led to anything other than this, the moment he turned into the Terminator.

DonÄić acknowledges that his approach has shifted. Heâ€s been noticeably more vocal this season, and when asked whether thatâ€s intentional, he doesnâ€t hesitate. “Definitely [more vocal], just trying to help the guys,†he says. But he credits the change partly to improved chemistry, stressing that he still wants leadership to feel shared. “I think leadership shouldnâ€t be just one player – it should be more players, and I think we have that. Everyone talks a lot. It feels like everyone is on the same page.â€

Those around him have noticed the growth. Lakers head coach JJ Redick says heâ€s seen a real shift from last season: “I think heâ€s letting his teammates in right now,†he says. Austin Reaves – the Lakers guard who has developed an easy, teasing rapport with DonÄić in the months since his arrival – sees it too, and isnâ€t surprised it took some time. “Itâ€s human nature when things like last year happen. Nobody ever thought that was gonna happen … Iâ€m sure he was in a state of shock,†Reaves says. “Having to move, move his family – it was tough. But now I think heâ€s just getting comfortable, having a good time.â€

When James returns to make his season debut, which could happen as soon as Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz, the soft opening of the Lakers†Luka Era will come to a temporary close. But the forward momentum wonâ€t halt: the progress DonÄić has made with the keys to the franchise in hand are palpable, and likely here to stay. He knows the future is his, and he seems more comfortable with that fact than ever.

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