On October 21, 2026, Luka Doncic published a full-page letter to Lakers fans ahead of the season opener. The reporting is split on where it ran: one account places it in the Los Angeles Times, another in the New York Times, and neither has been reconciled. The discussion otherwise concerns whether the move signals he has taken the baton from LeBron James, and whether a Lakers roster with Walker Kessler at center can defend enough to matter in the playoffs.