Luka Dončić-led Lakers begin post-LeBron James era with blowout win over Warriors

For the first time since 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers began their season without LeBron James on the roster. But they still have Luka Dončić.

That was more than enough for their season opener on Wednesday, a 127-105 home win over the short-handed Golden State Warriors.

Dončić certainly looked eager to define this Lakers era, posting 28 points on 7-of-18 shooting, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. He spent much of the game matched up against Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and appeared to take the assignment personally. He repeatedly went after the No. 12 pick of the 2026 NBA Draft and let him know about it after the play.

That included on a halfcourt shot to end the first half, pointing at Lendeborg after the buzzer.

That’s something of a “Welcome to the NBA” moment for Lendeborg, who won an NCAA championship and All-American honors last season at Michigan.

So Dončić appears ready to keep doing his thing without James. As for the other Lakers, trade acquisition Walker Kessler had a big Lakers debut with 26 points on 12-of-12 shooting. His 10 dunks were the most by a Laker in a single game since a big man by the name of Shaquille O’Neal in 2003.

Dončić assisted on five of those dunks, forming the kind of two-man game when the Lakers had in mind when they gave the big man a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade deal.

The new-look defense made life tough for the Warriors, who are without Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody to open the season. Stephen Curry led the group with 23 points, but Golden State shot only 27-of-70 as a team before emptying out its bench at the start of the fourth quarter.

The sour note for the night was a painful-looking injury for Jake LaRavia, a returnee expected to get rotation minutes this season. He appeared to roll his ankle on a drive during garbage time.

It was a transformative season overall for the Lakers. Among the nine Lakers players to see pre-garbage-time minutes on Wednesday only three members were part of the Lakers last season: Dončić, Austin Reaves and LaRavia.

James is gone. Marcus Smart is gone. Rui Hachimura is gone. DeAndre Ayton, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes are all gone. The Lakers responded by bringing in the likes of Kessler, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams, who all started against the Warriors, plus Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney, who came off the bench.

There aren’t many places bullish on the idea of this group doing what the James-led group couldn’t in his last few years in Los Angeles, but the transformation was likely inevitable once Dončić came to town. This is now a team built entirely around the 27-year-old, with the ability to try building for beyond this season.

Wednesday at least represents a good start in that regard.