Doncic's letter to Lakers fans

Sports · Heat 1.1 / 10 · 2 shows · 7m airtime

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.

How 2 podcasts covered it

1. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-21 (41:33 to 44:21)
   Corrects the Doncic letter's newspaper
   O'Shea Jackson Jr. talks up the Lakers' roster and the Doncic ad, but places the full-page letter in the Los Angeles Times rather than the New York Times, a conflict with the record. The rest is banter about a blizzard offense and Walker Kessler as extra mayonnaise.
   New angle: The full-page Doncic letter ran in the Los Angeles Times, not the New York Times.
2. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-21 (16:59 to 20:55)
   Reads Doncic's letter as a handoff from LeBron
   Opens on Doncic's full-page Times letter and reads it as a handoff from LeBron, then argues the Lakers' ceiling: one host cites Walker Kessler as the rim protector the Dallas finals team had, the other calls them an average team with the 14th-best title odds.
   New angle: Doncic took out a full-page New York Times ad with a letter to Lakers fans before the opener.