No More LeBron: Luka Ushers In 'Dončić Era' in Signature Style With Half-Court Buzzer-Beater and Swagger /VIDEO/

That proved to be more than enough for Wednesday's season opener, as they cruised to a dominant 127-105 home victory over a depleted Golden State Warriors side.

Dončić certainly looked eager to define this new Lakers era, racking up 28 points (7-of-18 shooting), eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. He spent much of the night matched up against Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and seemed to take the assignment personally, relentlessly attacking the 12th pick of the 2026 NBA draft possession after possession and letting him hear about it after every play.

That included a buzzer-beating half-court heave to close out the first half, followed by Dončić pointing directly at Lendeborg as the horn sounded.

It served as a classic "Welcome to the NBA" moment for Lendeborg, fresh off capturing an NCAA championship and earning All-American honors with Michigan last season.

Dončić looks primed to keep doing his thing without James. As for the rest of the squad, trade acquisition Walker Kessler had a stellar Lakers debut, dropping 26 points on a flawless 12-of-12 shooting. His 10 dunks were the most by a Laker in a single game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2003.

Dončić assisted on five of those slams, showcasing the exact pick-and-roll chemistry the Lakers envisioned when landing the center on a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade deal.

A revamped defense made life miserable for the Warriors, who opened the season without Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Moses Moody. Steph Curry led Golden State with 23 points, but the team shot a dismal 27-of-70 from the field before emptying the bench early in the fourth quarter.

The only damper on the night was a painful-looking injury to Jake LaRavia, who is expected to log meaningful rotation minutes this season. The returning forward appeared to roll his ankle on a drive late in garbage time.

This has been a completely transformative period for the Lakers. Of the nine players who saw action before the final minutes on Wednesday, only three were on the roster last season: Dončić, Austin Reaves, and LaRavia.

James is gone. Marcus Smart is gone. Rui Hachimura is gone. Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes—all gone. The Lakers retooled by bringing in Kessler, Matisse Thybulle, and Ziaire Williams, who all started against the Warriors, alongside Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Kevon Looney off the bench.

Few believe this group can immediately accomplish what the James-led squads failed to do in his final years in Los Angeles, but the overhaul was arguably inevitable the moment Dončić arrived in town. This is now a roster built entirely around the 27-year-old superstar, with an eye toward both the present and future. Wednesday night, at the very least, was an encouraging first step.

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