Luka Dončić will open the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2026-27 season with the franchise’s biggest target already on the table: a championship. In a message to fans, the 2025-26 NBA scoring leader called Wednesday night the beginning of the Lakers’ title push as he prepares for his first full year as the club’s central figure.
Key takeaways
- The Lakers host Golden State on Wednesday night, with tip-off set for 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Dončić is expected back for his first game action since a hamstring injury suffered April 2.
- The hamstring issue kept him out for the rest of last season.
- Dončić thanked Los Angeles and its fans for the reception he received after arriving with the Lakers.
- He enters the season as the reigning 2025-26 NBA scoring champion.
Dončić sets the bar before opening night
In a letter published Wednesday, Dončić made clear that the Lakers are not framing this season as a gradual build. His message carried the expectation that comes with wearing Lakers gold and playing in a city accustomed to championship demands.
“Tonight we start our run for a championship,” Dončić wrote. “We have a special team. We know what you expect, and we are going to do everything in our power to deliver it.”
The note also served as Dončić’s acknowledgment of the welcome he has received in Los Angeles. Now the focus shifts from introduction to ownership of the operation, with the Lakers beginning a season built around their high-volume star guard and the pressure attached to that role.
Warriors provide the first test
Golden State arrives for the Wednesday opener as Dončić returns from the injury that ended his previous season. He strained his hamstring on April 2 and did not play again after that setback, making the Warriors game his first appearance in more than six months.
The Lakers will not have a soft landing spot. Opening night puts Dončić immediately into a nationally televised matchup, and it begins a season in which his production, availability and command of the rotation will sit at the center of every Lakers result.
