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Luka Dončić #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Houston Rockets.
The Los Angeles Lakers shook the NBA (and sports) world when they acquired Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis at the 2025 trade deadline. Now, as the Lakers prepare for the playoffs, Dončić is setting the tone with the aid of pop icon Britney Spears.
Dončić and the Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Round 1 of the Western Conference playoffs as the No. 3 seed.
The five-time All-Star shared a hype video set to Spears’ “Stronger.”
Dončić is coming off a run to the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks in 2023-24.
Last season’s scoring champion, he averaged a playoff career-low 28.9 points with 9.5 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.9 steals. Dončić led the postseason field in scoring in back-to-back years before an injury ended his season and the Mavericks missed the playoffs in 2022-23.
Luka Dončić Gets Honest About JJ Redick
The trade reunited Dončić with former Mavericks teammate JJ Redick, now the Lakers’ head coach. Dončić said their preexisting relationship made forming a connection in LA easier and that he has been “very impressed” by Redick as a coach.
“Way easy. I know him as a player. He’s totally different as a coach, but he’s a great guy. He knows basketball, he lives basketball. And just by knowing him from before, it was easier for me,” Dončić told Spectrum Sports Network’s Chris McGee on April 16. “[We] hit it off right away. Like I said, I knew him, and then he was broadcasting, so I saw him a lot. And it was easy for me.
“I knew when I played with him, he could be like, maybe, assistant coach or something. I didn’t never expected him to be head coach. But seeing what he has done has been unbelievable.”
Redick similarly praised Dončić after the Lakers beat the Mavericks in his return to Dallas.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick on Luka Doncic’s performance:
“The moment with the tribute video and him sitting by himself and getting to actually live that and live in the moment and allowing himself to be vulnerable…His ability to then go perform, lights turn on,
However, there is one aspect in which Dončić says Redick – a prolific shooter in his prime as a player – would want to see him: a shootout on the court.
“He don’t want that,” Dončić told McGee with a smirk.
Redick shot 41.5% from long distance for his career, peaking at a league-leading 47.5% during the 2015-16 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. He shot 39.5% on triples during the 2020-21 season, his lone campaign with the Mavericks and as Dončić’s teammate.
Dončić is a 36.8% career shooter and has connected on 37.9% of his deep looks through the first 28 regular-season games of his Lakers tenure.
LeBron James, Luka Dončić Give Lakers Title Hopes
Dončić and teammate LeBron James have reignited optimism that the Lakers can indeed challenge for a championship this season. Former NBA wing Quentin Richardson expressed such confidence on the “Pat McAfee Show.”
“I think the Lakers have a legitimate chance to make a run in these playoffs..
JJ Redick has done an incredible job all season..
When you’ve got LeBron James and Luka Doncic you’ve always got a chance” ~ @QRich #PMSLive
Dončić and James are 15-8 as a duo.
The Lakers boast a plus-3.4 net efficiency differential when the pair share the floor, ranking in the 70th percentile, per Cleaning The Glass.
The Lakers went 2-2 against the Timberwolves during the regular season, but they won the most recent meeting, which was the only one that Dončić played in. LA ended the season 2-2 while the Timberwolves won three straight.
