The Los Angeles Lakers are off to an impressive start in 2026 despite losing Austin Reaves, as LeBron James and Luka Dončić are balling together. The pair scored 30 each on Tuesday night to pick up their third consecutive win, but it was an incredible three-pointer from the Slovenian that stole the show.
James was hyped up as Dončić landed the shot that drew comparisons to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, and was gushing over his “magic” postgame, alongside head coach J.J. Redick.
LeBron James in Awe After Luka Dončić’s Kobe Bryant-esque Moment
The Lakers entered Tuesday night riding consecutive wins over the Memphis Grizzlies, and the struggling New Orleans Pelicans proved to be no match. While New Orleans outscored the Lakers in the second and third quarters, James and company dominated the fourth, pulling away for a 111–103 victory.
James delivered a near all-around masterpiece, finishing with 30 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block. Dončić matched him with 30 points of his own, adding 10 assists and two steals. But the defining moments of the night belonged to the Slovenian star.
Dončić drilled a pair of off-balance, bailout three-pointers as the shot clock expired, including one late in the fourth quarter that immediately drew comparisons to Lakers legend Bryant, a shot some could argue was even tougher to make.
I knew that Luka shot looked familiar 🐐 pic.twitter.com/rMpliPkK3N
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 7, 2026
“He does it all the time, so it’s not one shot on the floor that we don’t think he can make no matter 24 on the shot clock or at the end of the buzzer. We know he’s Luka Magic for a reason,” James said postgame.
Just like James, Redick shared the same confidence, admitting he knew the shot was going in the moment it left Dončić’s hands.
“We were just joking about it,” Redick said. “We both said to each other, ‘As soon as he shot it, I knew it was going in.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, so did I.’ Then he said, ‘I just can’t make a normal shot right now.’”
James set the screen that freed Dončić for the three, something the 27-year-old acknowledged afterward. The performance marked another milestone for the duo, who now own the third-most 30-point games by a Lakers pairing. Any concerns about a fit appear to be long gone, as James has fully embraced Dončić as the franchise’s centerpiece.
“Luka don’t need to bend his game. He’s our 27 year old franchise for this ball club. It’s up to us to bend our game around him and figure it out,” he said.
With the win, the Lakers improved to 23–11 on the season and now sit in third place in the Western Conference. They’ll look to keep the momentum going Wednesday night when they travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs.
