LeBron James drops 2-word message in anticipation of Luka Doncic pairing

The basketball community finally saw Luka Doncic don the Los Angeles Lakers kit during Tuesday night’s contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. While Doncic was unable to set foot on the hardwood, he was seen enjoying his first game as a Laker from the bench.

LeBron James, who sat next to his new teammate throughout the “Battle of LA”, shared a photo of them on Instagram on Wednesday. James welcomed Doncic to the Purple & Gold on numerous occasions, both via phone calls and during his postgame interview.

“Coming soon,” James captioned his IG post.

James also included a crown and a magic wand emoji, seemingly symbolizing his and Doncic’s nicknames - “King James” and “Luka Magic.”

Doncic has not yet played his first game for the Lakers but his pairing with James is anticipated as one of the most entertaining duos in league history. Their versatility will make it extremely challenging for opponents to defend against them.

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When is Luka Doncic expected to make his debut for the Lakers?

Luka Doncic is currently recovering from a calf strain that he suffered during the Christmas Day matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves. At the time of his injury, the European superstar was expected to be re-evaluated after a month.

According to the initial projected timelines, Doncic might be ready to suit up soon. However, the Lakers do not wish to rush their superstar just yet. During his introductory press conference, GM Rob Pelinka made it clear that the team would track his progress in practice and take a decision regarding his highly-anticipated debut accordingly.

JJ Redick reiterated the same plan while also mentioning potential dates for Doncic’s return.

“We're kind of just assessing it day by day. We hope to have him back within the next few games. We just had noncontact practice today, but we got some good work in for about 45 minutes, and he'll have a stay-ready game at some point over the next two days," he said (via CBS).

"He'll have some more opportunities to play live basketball, and then we'll make a decision on Saturday. If it's not Saturday, hopefully it's Monday. (But) those decisions will be made on Saturday,” Redick added.

According to Redick, Doncic is set to make his Lakers debut either against the Indiana Pacers (on Saturday) or the Utah Jazz (on Monday).