LeBron Leaves Lakers for Final Chapter | Phoenix News

LeBron James is exiting the Lakers after an eight-year run — his longest tenure with any team — signaling he’s not retiring just yet. Luka Dončić, who joined the Lakers in February 2025, will now take center stage as the franchise’s new leader. Despite falling short of a championship together, their time was marked by mutual respect, with Dončić calling LeBron an honor to learn from. Even amid a trade that brought Dončić to L.A. — involving LeBron’s friend Anthony Davis — their relationship remained strong, with LeBron personally congratulating Dončić post-trade. Now, with LeBron moving on, all eyes turn to Luka to see if he can lead the Lakers to glory — and do it on good terms, in a league rarely known for such grace. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7afe78847502648e