Luka Doncic drains wild warmup shot amid MVP performance to open season

Luka Doncic opened the 2026–27 season with a standout run for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are among the Western Conference’s strongest teams. Before Friday’s game against Portland, he made an eye-catching warm-up shot from the corner that arced above the retired jerseys in the arena rafters. His early form has helped drive the Lakers’ strong start and could strengthen their case as contenders if it continues.

Heading into the Trail Blazers game, Doncic was averaging 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, eight assists and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 49.5% from the field and 43.1% from three-point range. Despite those figures, he received no votes in a pre-season survey of NBA general managers on the MVP race. The article notes that the Lakers still have issues to address.