Los Angeles Lakers basketball star and playmaker Luka Doncic, on Monday, expressed his “excitement” to assume the role of captain of the ancient team in Los Angeles, after the departure of “King” LeBron James this summer to Philadelphia. The 27-year-old Slovenian magician said: “It is a new challenge, of course, but I have been in this situation a lot since I was young, so it is not something new for me. I feel good. I'm excited and ready. "It's been a long time since I played basketball."
Doncic has not appeared in the league since the beginning of last April against the Oklahoma City Thunder, nor was he able to return in time to face the same team that knocked out the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs.
Doncic had moved to California, in February 2025, after a long period he spent with the Dallas Mavericks, and will now assume responsibility for carrying the gold and purple colors of the Lakers to open a new page after the era of “King” LeBron James, who led the team to the “League” title in 2020.
The Slovenian was averaging more than 33 points per game last season, before suffering the injury.
During the summer, he had a period of rest and recovery, as he preferred not to participate in the international breaks.
In a sign that he has become the team's new leader, Lakers players visited him at his home in Slovenia for a five-day training camp. “It was important for me to show them where I came from,” he said. It's nice that they came. I know it wasn't necessarily easy, but it shows the kind of group we have,” he said, admitting that he was “a little nervous” while organizing the trip.
Next season, Doncic will be supported by top scorer Austin Reeves and a number of newcomers. The most prominent of them is the center player, Walker Kesler, who comes from the Utah Jazz. He said about his new colleague: “He is a great addition to us. He protects the basket, of course, but he has also developed a lot on the offensive level. "It will help us a lot."
The Lakers will begin their new season on October 21, facing the Golden State Warriors.
Victor Wimbanyama said that the disappointment resulting from his team's defeat by the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA final last season at the hands of the New York Knicks continued until the period between seasons, as the French player admitted that he went through some difficult nights before the start of the new season.
Speaking during the Spurs media day yesterday (Monday), Wimbanyama said that he allowed himself to face the feelings of losing in the final series after five games, instead of trying to get over it too quickly.
The 22-year-old player said: “The matter develops over time, but I spent a few sleepless nights. Maybe it's not completely sleepless nights, but I find it difficult to sleep sometimes, or I face difficult feelings that I have sometimes.”
Spurs reached the final series in Wimpanyama's third season. The 7-foot-4-inch (2.25-meter) center said the team is ready to use this disappointment as motivation in the new season.
“We don’t want to hide from anything,” he explained. We will face these feelings. We are in a great situation. We are optimistic, prepared and ambitious.”
Wimbanyama will have a multi-year contract with San Antonio after averaging career-highs of 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 64 games last regular season.
He became the youngest player to win the best defender award in the league and topped the competition with an average of 3.08 blocks per match.
Turkish Justice Minister Akan Gorlik said today (Tuesday) that Turkey has detained the head of the main referees’ committee and six of its members on charges of interfering in arbitration procedures, describing the move as the latest in the framework of “the fight for clean football.”
Gorlek added on the “X” platform that the authorities investigated allegations related to the classification of referees, the distribution of their tasks, evaluation and appointment mechanisms, and tests of arbitration laws.
The detention of Ferhat Gundogdu, Chairman of the Central Referees Committee of the Turkish Football Federation, was confirmed. “We will resolutely continue our fight for clean football to shed light on the allegations that undermine confidence in Turkish football,” Gorlek said.
He pledged to ensure that those responsible are held accountable, to ensure that football is linked to the effort, competition and sportsmanship that appears on the field.
The minister added that investigators listened to the statements of complainants and witnesses, requested expert reports, and examined communications records and financial data from the Turkish Financial Crimes Investigation Authority.
