LeBron James Congratulates Luka Doncic On New Three-year Extension

Luka Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. When the contract was signed and the ink was still drying, Doncic got a call from the face of the franchise for 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 Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Saturday night to attend the Backstreet Boys concert at The 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 February 4 in his first public comments after his longtime teammate, Anthony Davis, was 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 Timberwolves, James 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 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.”