Luka Doncic says the most valuable lesson he took away from playing alongside LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers had little to do with anything that happened during games themselves, and everything to do with what James does long before tipoff.

Doncic made the comments during an appearance on James' "Mind the Game" podcast, co-hosted with two-time MVP Steve Nash, reflecting on his time as a teammate of the four-time NBA MVP since arriving in Los Angeles via a blockbuster midseason trade in February 2025.

Asked what stood out most about playing alongside James, Doncic pointed directly to James' preparation habits rather than his on-court production. "First of all, off the court, you know, all the things he does just to be ready for the game. And obviously on the court, everybody knows what kind of player he is," Doncic said.

When pressed for a specific example, Doncic described being genuinely surprised by how early James arrives at the arena before games. "He shows up like 10 hours before the game. ... I came to the arena, he was already done working out. I was like, what?" Doncic said.

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