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There are few franchises in sports with the level of expectation the Los Angeles Lakers carry every single season.
Winning championships isn’t a goal in L.A., it’s the standard.
Now, 26-year-old Luka Doncic is stepping into that spotlight after arriving from Dallas, and Lakers legend Derek Fisher has some words of advice for the Slovenian superstar.
“The responsibility is, it’s hard to describe. My shoes were never the size of Luka’s, in terms of really carrying the franchise into the next iteration and generation,” Fisher told ESPN LA. “I think the biggest thing is being a champion. While Lakers fans and the organization are always going to go for it every season, for Luka and guys that look like they’re going to be here for multiple years, you still have to have the willingness to play the long game. Right? You’re looking to win now, but your habits have to last for a decade.”
Fisher’s words come from experience. He won five championships with the Lakers and knows the grind it takes to not only reach the mountaintop but stay there.
Sasha Vujacic, another former Lakers champion and fellow Slovenian, echoed Fisher’s belief in Doncic’s fit for L.A.
“One hundred percent. And I think that — not to diss Dallas — but I think Luka’s light and capability were way too big for the Dallas spotlight. I think Luka is the perfect guy that we need in L.A. to carry us to that next championship,” Vujacic said. “And I said it a long time ago when I watched him play — there are glimpses I see from Kobe, like in his eyes. He plays with a smile, but he wants to kill you. There was a saying in our locker room — you smell blood, you go at them — and I think Luka is one of those few individuals in the league that has that demeanor, and has that mindset of trying to go to the next level. I think it’s going to be a fun year, and I’m really happy he’s with us.”
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