<\/p>\n
The state of the Los Angeles Lakers took a dramatic turn last March. While the experiment with LeBron James and Anthony Davis had given them a championship immediately, the duo had led them past the first round just once since then.<\/p>\n
As a result, change was necessary, but it felt hard to achieve. That was until the offer for Luka Don\u010di\u0107 materialized out of thin air. Now in his second season with the franchise, it looks like the Slovenian superstar has embraced the city and team. But for Lakers minority owner Jeanie Buss, it hasn\u2019t been a love-at-first-sight type of story.<\/p>\n
First drafted to the Dallas Mavericks in 2018, Don\u010di\u0107 spent seven years with the team, making them a perennial contender in the West and a playoff team by his second year. As a result, the love between the player and the city was hard to replicate.<\/p>\n
A trip to the Conference Finals and another to the Finals certainly helped him connect with any remaining members of the fan base. During that stretch, he also became one of the most impressive players in the NBA through a statistical lens.<\/p>\n
A scoring champion and five-time All-NBA selection, he was unquestionably one of the best players in the league. Since coming to the Lakers, he\u2019s tried to replicate some of that success with this franchise as well.<\/p>\n
After bowing out in the first round of the postseason last year, he upped his numbers this season. As a result, he has another All-Star appearance and scoring title on his resume, after averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists.<\/p>\n