LOS ANGELES — Former Los Angeles Lakers star Derek Fisher believes the franchise is uniquely positioned to avoid the dramatic decline that has historically followed LeBron James' departure from a team, arguing that the presence of Luka Doncic gives the Lakers a level of stability James' previous teams lacked once he moved on.

James informed the Lakers this summer that he would not be returning for the 2026-27 season, ending an eight-season run with the franchise that included one NBA championship. James subsequently signed a near-minimum, two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, where he will join Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey as he continues pursuing another title in what will be his 23rd NBA season and fourth different franchise.

Speaking on 97.1 The Fan LA, Fisher, a five-time NBA champion during his own playing career with the Lakers, acknowledged James' well-documented history of leaving teams in difficult positions after his departures, but argued the current Lakers roster is fundamentally different from those situations given Doncic's presence.

"You think about the few organizations where LeBron has been, you tell me where their record has gotten dramatically better after he left," Fisher said. "So it's not going to fall off that much because Luka is there."

Fisher expanded on why he views the Lakers' current backcourt and frontcourt pieces as sufficient to sustain competitive basketball in James' absence, pointing specifically to the combination of Doncic, Austin........

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