Luka Doncic expressed a lot of confidence in the Los Angeles Lakers' chances of success despite losing LeBron James this offseason.

Doncic and James were teammates for two seasons. James represented the Lakers for eight years, leading the franchise to the championship in 2020. It wasn't until this summer that the veteran superstar decided to move on from Los Angeles and sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Los Angeles did Media Day on Monday, seeing Doncic converse with media during his press conference. When a reporter asked about his leadership duties with James no longer on the team, Doncic had a short but clear answer.

“How does this feel … with LeBron James not being here, and now the focus being on you being a leader?” a reporter asked.

“It feels great,” Doncic said.

"How does this feel … with LeBron James not being here, and now the focus being on you being a leader?

Luka: "It feels great." pic.twitter.com/ZKAQz22wwX

— ESPN (@espn) September 28, 2026

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What lies ahead for Luka Doncic, Lakers this season

The Lakers have moved on from the LeBron James era this summer. As a result, they have embraced a full commitment of the new era with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Lakers regrouped in the offseason, departing from James, Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Luke Kennard. They replaced them with Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashveli, Quentin Grimes, Kevon Looney, and Jaden Hardy.

Los Angeles finished with a 53-29 record this past season, finishing fourth in the Western Conference standings. They took down the Houston Rockets in six games before falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a four-game sweep.

The Lakers have a major opportunity to impress with their new-look roster. Having better talent off the bench looks to be pivotal as depth will be crucial to their long-term success throughout the 2026-27 season.

Los Angeles will get its campaign underway with five preseason contests, starting with the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 5 then ending with the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 16. Their regular season will begin at home when they host the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 21 at 10 p.m. ET.