The Los Angeles Lakers face a challenging start to the season with LeBron James sidelined due to a sciatica injury. This setback ends his historic streak of 22 consecutive opening night appearances and places immediate pressure on his co-star, Luka Doncic. For the first time, Doncic has addressed the team’s new reality and the message for the locker room.

Speaking to reporters, Doncic acknowledged James’ absence but was clear about the required mentality. “It’s a big change. He’s a great player. He’s going to help us a lot,” Doncic stated. “But at the end of the day, our mentality needs to be next man up. We’ve got a group of guys. They’re practicing. Hopefully, LeBron can join us as soon as possible. Obviously, me and him. But our mentality has got to be next man up.”

When asked i

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