Luka Doncic told SportKlub (h/t Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal) on Sunday, February 15, that the Los Angeles Lakers organization is “better” than his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. The Slovenian star, who played in the 2026 NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, described the Lakers as a “legendary club” with a legendary structure.
Doncic, 26, appeared in his sixth All-Star Game and said he was honored to represent Team World in the new USA vs. World format, where Team Stars claimed the championship 47–21 over Team Stripes. Anthony Edwards earned MVP honors with 17 points in the final.
Despite a minor thigh injury keeping him from recent Lakers games, Doncic participated fully in All-Star festivities and praised the organization’s professionalism and infrastructure. “I think it’s a better organization. Lakers are really a legendary club and the organization is legendary as well,” he said.
The point guard’s comments come as the Lakers sit fifth in the Western Conference with a 33–21 record, while the Mavericks trail at 12th with 19–35. Doncic leads Los Angeles in scoring (32.8 points per game), assists (8.6 per game), and rebounds (7.8 per game).
With the Lakers preparing for a city matchup against the Clippers on Saturday, Doncic is expected to play, continuing his contribution to a team blending veterans like LeBron James (22.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 7.1 APG) and Austin Reaves (25.4 PPG). Deandre Ayton provides interior stability with 8.5 rebounds per game.
