Camille Naredo

LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on February 4, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Adam Pantozzi, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP 

INGLEWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 4: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on February 4, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE   Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Adam Pantozzi / NBAE / Getty Images / Getty Images via AFP)

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Los Angeles Lakers v LA Clippers

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1739962626378AFP__20250205__2197159013__v1__Preview__LosAngelesLakersVLaClippers.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on February 4, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Adam Pantozzi, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP"/>LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on February 4, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. Adam Pantozzi, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP</div>WASHINGTON -- LeBron James is energized to play alongside new Lakers teammate Luka Doncic while in Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hopes an NBA title will secure his place among league legends as the regular-season homestretch begins.The NBA returns from the All-Star break on Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers, led by James and Doncic, entertain Charlotte in a game postponed from January by wildfires.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/2/17/durant-jokic-see-competition-creep-back-in-with-new-nba-all-star-game-format-1615">READ: Durant, Jokic see competition creep back in with new NBA All-Star Game format</a></div>The Lakers, fifth in the Western Conference at 32-20, made a deal with Dallas on February 2, trading away forward Anthony Davis and others to obtain Slovenian guard Doncic, uniting the playmaker with 40-year-old legend James in hopes of making the Lakers a title contender.&quot;Just the excitement of being able to add a caliber player like that, a generational talent like that to our franchise, it&#x27;s something that has given me energy,&quot; James said.&quot;I&#x27;m looking forward to seeing what we can do. We only had two games so far and I believe he has been on a minutes restriction since he came back from the calf (injury).&quot;As he continues to get in form, I think we could be really good going down the stretch. But we&#x27;ll see what happens.&quot;James missed the NBA All-Star Game while resting a foot and ankle injury ahead of facing Charlotte on Wednesday and visiting Portland on Thursday.&quot;With 30 games left and us trying to make a playoff push in the wild, wild west, I feel like it&#x27;s important for me to take care of myself and understand what&#x27;s coming on,&quot; James said. &quot;I have to look out for myself when it comes to this injury that I&#x27;ve been dealing with for years.&quot;Hopefully I can play against Charlotte on Wednesday and Portland on Thursday. It&#x27;s a big stretch for us.&quot;Oklahoma City Thunder lead the West and share the NBA&#x27;s best record with the Cleveland Cavaliers, at 44-10.In the East, the Cavs are 5.5 games ahead of reigning champion Boston while the Thunder lead Memphis by eight in the West.Gilgeous-Alexander leads the NBA with 32.5 points a game.The 26-year-old Canadian guard also averages 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocked shots a game for a team trying to defend its regular-season conference crown.&quot;We have an opportunity to, for sure, win an NBA championship,&quot; he said. &quot;Now we&#x27;re going to have to earn it.&quot;You go in the playoffs and you need to be the best team for a couple months and you&#x27;re not that unless you earn it throughout the season and playoffs.&quot;We&#x27;re more than halfway through the season, but it&#x27;s a long road and we&#x27;ve just got to keep getting better through the road and hopefully where we want to be at the end of it.&quot;<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/2/11/doncic-off-the-mark-as-lakers-rout-jazz-1609">READ: Doncic off the mark as Lakers rout Jazz</a></div><div>- &#x27;For sure surreal&#x27; -</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1739962599096AFP__20241227__2190871292__v1__Preview__OklahomaCityThunderVIndianaPacers.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the game against the Indiana Pacers on December 26, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP"/>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the game against the Indiana Pacers on December 26, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP</div>Gilgeous-Alexander has accepted the growing attention brought by his exceptional play.&quot;I try to make sure I don&#x27;t let it affect the person I am, the player I am and the teammate I am,&quot; he said.&quot;Doing so has helped me succeed on the court and us succeed as a team, as well. Yeah, I definitely notice it, embrace it, and try to make sure it doesn&#x27;t get in the way of things.&quot;Gilgeous-Alexander says he knows he will not be mentioned alongside such contemporary greats as James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry unless he leads an NBA championship team.&quot;You play the game to win and that&#x27;s, at the end of the day, all that really matters,&quot; he said. &quot;If I don&#x27;t succeed in that in my career, I will have never have accomplished what I wanted to.&quot;<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/2/16/silver-says-nba-excellent-but-green-calls-it-boring-1525">READ: Silver says NBA &#x27;excellent&#x27; but Green calls it &#x27;boring&#x27;</a></div>He accepts he might have a chance to become the face of the NBA like James and Michael Jordan.&quot;That&#x27;s literally for the world to decide and whoever the world gravitates to is going to become it naturally,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#x27;s not really like a title, it&#x27;s more of an opinion, but it is something that is for sure surreal.&quot;If you&#x27;re in that conversation... you will probably go down in history, and to be in that conversation is a blessing.&quot;

The NBA returns from the All-Star break on Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers, led by James and Doncic, entertain Charlotte in a game postponed from January by wildfires.

The NBA returns from the All-Star break on Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers, led by James and Doncic, entertain Charlotte in a game postponed from January by wildfires.

Doncic energizes LeBron as NBA homestretch begins

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Doncic energizes LeBron as NBA homestretch begins

Agence France-Presse,

Jim Slater

Published Feb 19, 2025 07:01 PM PHT

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