Luka Doncic and LeBron James are no longer Los Angeles Lakers teammates, after LeBron informed his former franchise that he intends to sign elsewhere in free agency this summer.
These two NBA greats had a solid relationship with each other, and there’s no reason to believe there’s any beef between them, both before and after LeBron’s decision. However, an answer Luka made regarding LeBron during a recent interview is sure to turn heads.
Instagram user Klemen Kopina interviewed Doncic on July 6, asking him which of many NBA icons he would choose as his “ultimate” teammate for a hypothetical 2-on-2 game.
Initially, Luka was asked to choose between Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. He selected Jokic, and continued choosing Jokic for several subsequent players, including former Lakers legends Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, and San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama.
Soon enough, Luka had to choose between Jokic and LeBron. He chose Jokic with no hesitation.
Luka finally choose someone over Jokic when having to pick between him and Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird. Then, the interview ended with Doncic picked Michael Jordan over Bird.
For what it’s worth, asking who an ideal teammate would be isn’t the same as picking the better player, as Doncic has to consider whose skillset would best translate alongside his in a 2-on-2 setting, which is like a different game when compared to 5-on-5.
Still, the speed with which Luka dismissed LeBron is a big reason why this interview has already gone viral on social media.
