LeBron James’ move to Philadelphia makes Luka Dončić the unquestioned lead in Los Angeles. For the first time since 2017-18, the Lakers enter a season without LeBron James.
The real question is whether Dončić also takes over the role James held league-wide. That one is genuinely open, and the strongest competing claim belongs to a 7-foot-4 player in San Antonio.
Dončić Already Sells Like the Face of the League
On the commercial side, the case is mostly settled. After the 2024-25 season, Dončić topped the NBA’s best-selling jersey list, the first player other than Stephen Curry or LeBron James to do so since 2012-13.
His production backs up the sales. In his first full season in purple and gold, Dončić led the Lakers to 53 wins, captured his second scoring title and earned First Team All-NBA honors.
He carried that load with James still taking possessions. The offense is now entirely his, and Dončić doesn’t seem bothered by that: he wanted a lob-threat big man this summer, and the front office got him Walker Kessler.
He’s been in this spot before, too. Speaking about his bigger role, Dončić told USA Today, “I was in this position in my career a lot of times, so it’s not new to me.”
The Basketball Has Moved to San Antonio
Being the face of the league has never been only about jersey sales. It goes to whoever owns the end of the season, and right now that is Victor Wembanyama.
Last season he became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in league history and took the Spurs to the Finals. He enters this season as the MVP favorite, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander chasing a third straight award.
Last spring went badly for Dončić. The Lakers beat the Rockets in six games without him after he suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in April, and they were then swept by the Thunder in the second round.
That makes his 2024 Finals run with Dallas his last deep playoff run. The face of the league can’t keep watching the playoffs from the bench.
The roster adds some doubt as well. The Lakers gave Austin Reaves a $185 million contract and spent two first-round picks to finally get Kessler, which leaves little room to fix things in the middle of the season.
The 2-3 preseason record means nothing on its own, but it did nothing to settle the questions either.
Dončić Shares the Title Until He Wins in May
Today Dončić is the face of the NBA on the commercial side and second to Wembanyama on the court. James held the title for two decades because he was both the most famous player and the one still playing in June.
Dončić already has the fame. His second scoring title and First Team All-NBA selection show the talent is there. What he doesn’t have is the spring.
That makes the verdict narrow: he shares the title for now, and playoff availability decides it. If Dončić stays healthy, plays past the second round and wins a Western Conference that also includes the Thunder and Spurs, the title is his outright.
That would be the first season since James’ prime when one player is both the top seller and the last star standing. If Wembanyama wins MVP and gets back to the Finals while Dončić’s spring ends early again, this is Wembanyama’s league, and Dončić is its best-selling runner-up.
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