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After Luka Doncic played LeBron James for the first time, he headed to the Lakers locker room in search of a souvenir he had always wanted: James’s worn jersey.
“Strive for greatness,” James wrote on the uniform gifted to the Dallas Mavericks guard.
James glimpsed greatness in Doncic that night in 2018 due to a skill he most cherished, one that stands apart from the rest of the tools on his chest.
On Thursday, the day before the Lakers (0-1) host Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks (0-1) at Staples Center, James detailed what he saw in the great players that made him stop to appreciate what they do. .
“I think it’s the middle game. … Guys who can make plays happen before you can read, before many players on the court can see them, ”he said. “It’s not about scoring the ball. It’s about making passes and reads throughout the game where even your particular teammate didn’t see you coming towards them or the defender didn’t see you. Those are the plays that put me in the ‘wow’ moment or in the ‘damn’ moment.
“Those are the plays that drive me.”
Doncic is no longer a wide-eyed rookie. He’s an MVP favorite with a full offensive game and the ability to see plays unfold before they actually do. Last season, he pushed Dallas to the most efficient offense in NBA history.
In his team’s season opener on Wednesday, Doncic was more of a scorer than a distributor, losing 32 points with eight rebounds and five assists in the Mavericks’ 106-102 loss at Phoenix.
James previously said that he identified Doncic years ago as someone he wanted to put under his brand within Nike, creating an opportunity for the two basketball visionaries to collaborate. James is still open to that … although Doncic has done well on his own, starting when he turned pro as a teenager in Europe.
“I have always had an open door policy. You know it. Obviously, you never want to force anything, force a relationship with anyone, ”James said. “Everything he’s doing right now, he doesn’t seem to need any information. He doesn’t seem like he needs help with what he’s doing. “
On-court competition will be the driving force behind the excitement on Friday because the typical spectacle of a Christmas Day game will be absent with empty stands due to the ongoing pandemic.
Usually, “At Christmas, you know you’re going to have that Christmas feeling. There will be a lot of celebrities in the game, a lot of excitement. “Said James.” People have opened their gifts, everyone is excited. It’s a donation day for many of us. And then, being at the Staples Center, I had the opportunity to play here at Christmas as a Laker and also as an opponent. It’s a beautiful feeling to be here, but it’s not the same without the Lakers faithful, without the fans, without the celebrity line, without the bright lights. It’s just a feeling. totally different, it’s strictly basketball, which is fine.
“But our game is also entertainment. And when you’re out there, you hope to entertain some people live too. But we have to. Hopefully we know that we are leaving a mark while they watch the game ”.
Etc.
James said his ankle, which was rolled in the second half of the first game of the season, will not prevent him from playing Friday against Dallas. “I’ve never missed a Christmas Day game so I don’t plan on missing one tomorrow.” … Lakers coach Frank Vogel said he did not address his team regarding the Houston Rockets, who had to postpone their game Wednesday because they didn’t have enough players available due to contact tracing protocols.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
VS. DALLAS
When: 5 pm Friday
In the air: TV: ABC / ESPN. Radius: 710, 1330
To update: LeBron James’ slight ankle sprain won’t ruin Christmas dinner, as he and the Lakers will be ready for Luka Doncic and the Mavericks. The Lakers will have to get off to a better defensive start than in the first game of the season, with Dallas owning one of the most powerful offenses in the NBA. A great key will be Marc Gasol, who is looking to recover from a difficult debut.
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