LUKA DONCIC’S PRESS CONFERENCE after signing CONTRACT EXTENSION with LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Good morning. Uh, actually six months ago to the day, the Los Angeles Lakers chose Luca Donuch uh through a trade where he came to our franchise. Today, Luca Donuch chose the Los Angeles Lakers and that is a monumental moment in Lakers history and we could be not more we could not be more grateful for you choosing this partnership. The best young basketball player in the universe joins for the long-term future the best sports franchise on the globe. So truly an exciting day on behalf of Jeannie Bus and Mark Walter and Coach Reic and a lot of Lucas teammates Marcus, Gabe, Maxi, DeAndre that are here today. Um, just want to let you know how incredible of a moment this is for us. Today wouldn’t have happened without Lara Beth and Bill Duffy. Um, I’ve been in the basketball circles since 1998, and I don’t think I’ve come across partners that work as hard with as much integrity to partner with the franchise like they have. So, thank you guys for helping us create this moment for Luca and his family. Um, so just really pleased to be here and I’ll let Luca give an opening statement before we take some questions. Yeah. Uh, first of all, I’ll speak in Spanish uh because I know there’s so many Lakers Spanish fans. Uh, Lakers JJ Mark and no that’s it. No English. I’m kidding. I’m kidding. Uh I just want to say thank you. Like I said in Spanish, you know, you guys welcome me with open arms. Uh thank you Mari. Thank you Genie. JJ, Rob, uh, the whole organization really opened me with open arms. Uh, and honestly, I can’t wait to get started. Hey, Luca. Rob just mentioned, you know, six months ago and kind of being here in different circumstances and everything that was going through your mind. How have these last couple months been for you? And were there was there a certain time where you thought, “Yeah, this is the place that I want to be. These are the reasons why up to the point where you made the decision that you made. I was kind of thinking, you know, even uh obviously not at the moment when I got traded, but later on when I started playing, you know, I wanted to be here. Uh like I said, you know, this is a an amazing organization. Uh we have a trust in each other. So, I’m honestly I decided pretty quick. Luka Jim Hill, KL9 News. Welcome. Congratulations. When you look at all the banners that are here and all the names, the great names that are on the walls, how does it make you feel to know that you are expected to put up more banners and your name on the walls here? Uh, it’s an honor, you know, uh, playing for this organization. Many, many great players played here. So, obviously, I want to add one more up there. Uh, so that’s what we’re working for. Look, good to see you. Congratulations. you mentioned in um kind of the post you put out on social media championships being important to you here. You guys lost in the first round. Uh you look like a different person since then. What do you feel like you’re going to bring to that championship pursuit next year and how do you feel like the team is constructed to try to achieve that goal? Yeah, honestly I think we have a great team. Uh we have what we need to compete for the championship, you know. Uh I’ll bring uh we’re ready to get I mean broad uh try to win every game uh no matter what. And you know we got some new great guys uh being in the team and you know we’re going to go for it. Hey Luka. Um congratulations as well. What was it specifically about being a Laker um in your kind of brief experience last season that excited you the most? Were there moments were there feelings about maybe the spotlight, the stage in Los Angeles that that really attracted you? Honestly, my first like moment was uh when I first my first game, you know, I didn’t play for five six games. I don’t know exactly how much. Uh but the way they received me, the fans, the team, you know, it was unbelievable. In that moment, I felt I felt something different. So, I was really excited. Luka, also congratulations on on the extension. Um, it’s been widely talked about how you played a part, you know, in the recruitment of some of the additions, specifically DeAndre and Marcus. Um, I think it’s also been said that that wasn’t something you were big on early in your career in terms of the recruiting. Why was that important for you to do with the Lakers this offseason specifically? Uh, to build a team to win the championship. Uh, you know, I think we got two great great guys. You know, I play against them before, never with them. Uh, so now I’m happy they’re on on my team. Look at Brad Turner from the LA Times. Congratulations to you and Rob. Um, knowing that this organization is about winning championships and they’ve had great players here. How easy did that make your decision to sign the extension? Yeah, obviously like I said, you know, being a Laker is an honor and I wanted to be here. So, uh, obviously when you look up here, uh, so many great names and what they achieved, you know, uh, I want to be up there too once one day. Luka, congratulations. Uh, I’m curious too for you. First, how do you plan to to celebrate maybe today, this evening? How do you plan to celebrate this? There’s a surprise, so I don’t know yet. Oh, there’s a surprise. I’m also curious. There’s a lot that’s been made of of this new Luca, this the shape that you’re in right now. Do you feel that you’re in the best shape of your basketball career and what charged this sort of refocus this summer that we’re seeing? Yeah, I would just say, you know, it was like a fresh start for me. Uh, obviously I was on my way on doing it. Uh, but it was just kind of fresh start. Had a little more time, you know, uh, to get my mind off basketball. Uh, just doing other things. Uh, so I would just say like a fresh start for me. What’s up, Luca? Six months ago, you walked into this same place and the shock was all over your face. Now, how are you feeling in this next season? Way better. Way better. Uh but honestly, I’m just really excited. I can’t wait to get to get started. You know, having a preseason with the guys, it’s going to help us a lot. Uh so, it’s going to be a lot of fun. What do you think you’re going to be able to do more easily on the court in the kind of shape that you’re in? What are the main areas of focus that you want to be able to do better? I would just say a little bit of everything. Uh obviously, uh a little bit faster. I don’t know, just trying to help the team, you know, condition wise. Uh you know, obviously playing a lot of minutes, a lot of games. So, I think that’s going to be the best for me. So much of defense is energy and effort. How do you think the shape you’re in now will affect your defense as well? I think way better. You obviously got Marcus, so he’s going to teach you some things. Uh, but you know, obviously that’s going to help a lot. Hi, Luka. Uh, a lot of people know who you are on the court, but you announced something today also that kind of speaks to who you are off the court when you pledged 5 million to young athletes globally. I guess I’m just wondering what inspired you to do that. Uh like I always say, you know, uh community gives me so much. Uh like I said, the first game, the fans welcome me. It’s such a great atmosphere. I always always wanted to give back. Obviously, it’s kind of part of my foundation, you know, on the youth. Uh how they dropping off basketball, sports in general. So, I want to help that help that out. Hey, just have one for Rob. Uh Rob, you’ve built a Yeah, give you a break, Luca. Uh you’ve helped build a championship roster before and just, you know, how difficult that is and I just wonder, can you speak to, you know, getting Luca uh locked in here and what that does for you and what that does for the Lakers as as you try to get to that next step? Yeah, it’s the centerpiece and the foundation piece. Um, I think in conversations with Luca, uh, you know, it was really important for us to get a a rim live catching center and we feel like getting DeAndre Aton was huge. Um, it’s going to unlock so much in Luca’s game. As you can tell in the pick and roll reads, he’s the best in the world. Um, and I think DeAndre is going to really help. And then we really our thesis for our roster was to get younger and I think uh getting some three and D players like a Jake Larabia that we could add um at his age 42% shooter having wings that can shoot play on both sides of the ball I think is also really important and then being able to add Marcus Smart um defensive player of the year a couple years ago um I think chip on his shoulder to be back at that level and put the league on notice. Um, I think, uh, having players like that, uh, surrounding both Luca and LeBron, guys that can defend multiple positions is really important. So, uh, we like the upgrades we’re able to make to the roster. Um, but by no means are we going to be satisfied. Uh, I think every year, uh, we’re on a infinite cycle to try to improve this team and win championships and we’ll stay committed to that work. Robbie, you mentioned, uh, LeBron in your last answer. Obviously, another significant contract stipulation, not news of of the offseason was him opting into year 23. Rich Paul put out a statement ESPN. Um I reported that he also told you about that statement before he put out that LeBron and his camp will be monitoring the moves. Um do you have any sense of how they feel about how the team’s come together thus far um since that statement was made in in late June? And do you anticipate LeBron finishing his career with the Lakers? Yes. So all the interactions we’ve had with with LeBron and his camp, Rich in particular, have been positive and supportive. Um so very professional and Rich has been great. Um the dialogue with him has been open and constant. Um, so that to answer that question and then in terms of LeBron’s career, I think the number one thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s going to play. I think that’s first and foremost, and we want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable on that. Um, I think that’s that’s really important, but if he had a chance to retire a Laker, that would be great. Luca, um, when you were kind of thrust into this team last February, um, you talked a lot about wanting to do the right thing and maybe you weren’t as vocal or as assertive, um, because you’d never been in this situation before. Uh, how differently have have you moved, I guess, um, as a leader within this organization in the last few months now that you know you’re going to be here, you know, you’re going to be a part of it, what what have your conversations been like, with your teammates, um, and things like that? Um, I mean, obviously with Rob, you know, I talk more about the guys we want to get. Uh, but the players, you know, that’s going to develop, I think, in preseason, you know, when we’re all together and talking, you know, in person. So, I think that’s more happening in the preseason. Rob, for you, obviously, this is something you guys have had your mind on since acquiring Luca 6 months ago. What does it do for the ethos of the organization to get home, get him on this extension and I guess the flexibility you guys do have, you know, moving forward next offseason, even the season beyond that. Yeah, I think make no mistakes, we’re we’re in win championship now mode always, but I think don’t want to bore people with apron talk. I think that the the basketball public has, you know, enough of that. But in the new system that we’re in, having optionality is key to building teams. I think we have seen some teams get stuck in the aprons and once you’re in them, it’s hard to get out of them. And we’ve been very intentional with keeping our optionality to make now moves if there’s good now moves to make or to have um sort of our flexibility in the future. But I say all that um that the optionality is is there for us to use now if the right move comes it its way. We want to make smart moves, but to be in a position of flexibility versus being stuck is is really promising for how we’re going to build this team moving forward. Luka, you’ve addressed why you wanted to get into such great shape this off seasonason. What physically and mentally have you actually been doing to get into the shape you’re in? Uh like I said, you know, for the first month, I didn’t play basketball at all. You know, we’re uh more focused in other things. Uh so I think that kind of sparked, you know, the first five days was really hard without basketball. I actually didn’t know what to do. Uh but after it was it was easier. Uh but physically, you know, uh weightlifting, balancing, those stuff. And then after one month, we started playing basketball too. I think it’s important to, you know, Luca has done all the work. Um, but it it’s important to have a support system around you to help you do the great work and just want to take time to to recognize the work that Luca’s team and an in particular have done. They’ve dedicated the process to help him be great. Laura Beth monitoring it, you know, Bill Duffy looking over it. But the system around him has been so supportive and has worked seamlessly with our sports performance staff led by Dr. Sims. So, it’s been a group effort and uh all of us need each other to be great. We’re going to continue to support Luca when he leads by example with the work he’s doing to be great on the court. It inspires all of us. Anything else? Thanks everyone. Thank you.
Luka Doncic faced the media after officially signing his contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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