ESPN reveals LeBron's mindset: he continues to support Doncic, but his thoughts on the Lakers are unclear.

On August 5th, Beijing time, according to Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin, sources confirmed to ESPN that after the contract signing and before Doncic attended a press conference at the Lakers training facility, LeBron congratulated him via video call on his contract extension. Earlier, renowned reporter Stein had also reported this matter.

LeBron was not among the six teammates who attended the press conference, nor did he participate in the group activity on Saturday night, traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to watch the Backstreet Boys concert at the Sphere venue. However, this call continued LeBron's supportive stance towards Doncic since the Lakers acquired the 26-year-old superstar through a trade in February, a move that shocked the basketball world.

“Luka has always been one of my favorite players in the NBA,” LeBron stated publicly for the first time on February 4th, after his long-time teammate Anthony Davis was traded to Dallas in exchange for Doncic.

Towards the end of the regular season, the Lakers achieved a record of 16 wins and 7 losses in games where LeBron and Doncic played together. After the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, when asked about Doncic's upcoming contract decision, LeBron told ESPN that he hoped Doncic would stay but would not try to influence his decision.

“Obviously, I want him to be here long-term,” LeBron told ESPN on April 30th, “The Lakers fans love him so much, and Los Angeles has embraced him. We love him as a teammate and as a brother. But in the end, he has to make the decision for himself. After all, I won’t be in the league for much longer.”

Although LeBron's attitude towards Doncic has remained consistent (there are reports that the two players respect each other and hold each other in high regard), his thoughts on the Lakers are not as clear.

In June, LeBron chose to exercise his $52.6 million option for the final year of his contract, meaning he will embark on his record-breaking 23rd NBA season in 2025-26 while still donning the Lakers jersey.

However, when LeBron decided to stay, his agent, Rich Paul, CEO of Klutch Sports, issued a statement to Shams that left room for speculation about how the final chapter of this four-time champion's career would unfold.

“LeBron is eager to compete for a championship,” Paul stated to ESPN on June 29th, “He knows the Lakers are building for the future, and he understands that, but what he values is the tangible opportunity to win a championship. We are very grateful for the collaboration with Jeanie (Buss) and Rob (Pelinka) over the past eight years and view the Lakers as a crucial part of his career.”

“We understand that it’s not easy to compete for wins while preparing for the future. We hope to assess what is best for LeBron at this stage of his career. He wants to make every remaining season meaningful, and the Lakers understand, support this, and hope to seek the best outcomes for him.”

On Saturday, when asked about Paul's statement and LeBron's future, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka stated that the relationship between the team and LeBron's camp remains harmonious.

“All interactions with LeBron and his team (especially Rich) have been positive and mutually supportive,” Pelinka said, “My conversations with Paul have always been open and ongoing.”

As for LeBron's future after next season, Pelinka stated that the team will follow the direction of the 40-year-old star.

“I think our priority in this matter is to respect his and his family's decisions about how long he will compete,” Pelinka said, “We want to honor his right to decide on his timeline, which is very important. But if he has the opportunity to retire as a Lakers player, that would be wonderful.”