Luka Dončić's tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers began with a whirlwind 72 hours. From the time he was sprung from his sleep by a phone call from an associate on Saturday, Feb. 1, informing him he was being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to being introduced as the Lakers' latest star three days later, it was nonstop.

Dončić boarded a private jet from Dallas to L.A. on Sunday evening -- along with Maxi Kleber, who was also part of the deal. Rob Pelinka, the Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, met them at the airport. Then Dončić was whisked away to the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Beverly Hills, where Lakers coach JJ Redick made a late-night visit, welcoming his former teammate whom he'd now be calling plays for.

Monday opened with an 8 a.m. appointment at UCLA, where Dončić underwent an extensive physical examination, sources told ESPN, leaving the Lakers confident that the left calf strain that had sidelined Dončić since Christmas Day could be managed. Dončić then went from UCLA to El Segundo to tour the Lakers' practice facility, where he spent more time with Pelinka and Redick.

Meanwhile, the Lakers scrambled to roll out the welcome wagon for the 25-year-old basketball prodigy. On Sunday morning, equipment manager Brian Cuatt reached out to a local uniform finisher in Santa Fe Springs to get Dončić's No. 77 jersey stitched and ready for the guard's arrival. (Complete with a grapheme over the first "c" and accent over the second "c" in his last name -- an update to the lettering kit from when Sasha Vujačić played for L.A. but his uniform just had "Vujacic" stitched on the back.)

Though Cuatt had Dončić's jersey and shorts pressed and ready in his locker by the time of the tour, there was one highlight of the experience that Dončić missed out on: the display case outside of team governor Jeanie Buss' office, which normally shows off the 11 championship rings the franchise won in L.A. since the Buss family bought the team, in all their sparkling diamond glory, was empty.

The symbolism was two-fold. The rings were on loan to UCLA Health, one of the Lakers' brand partners, who brought them to Dubai for a public event. Their absence was a literal indicator of how the team has already positioned itself to be able to market the Slovenian Dončić as the first international superstar to be the face of the franchise. And figuratively, the symbolism was even more striking: Dončić is the player the Lakers are banking on to fill that display case with even more rings.

The whirlwind has continued for Dončić in the three weeks since. With his new team hosting his old team Tuesday in L.A. (LIVE on TSN3/5 at 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT.), in what's sure to be an emotional night, here are the moments that have defined his Lakers launch, including his growing partnership with Lakers' front man LeBron James.
 

Feb. 4 - Los Angeles: A "shell-shocked" superstar and a dream realized

Recognizing their newest superstar was still "shell-shocked" by the trade, as one source described to ESPN, the franchise kept Dončić's introductory news conference unusually basic.

There are few things the Lakers do better as an organization than put on a big event, but instead of parading out Lakers legends in celebration, adorning the gym with purple and gold balloons, or snapping endless photos, Pelinka and Dončić sat alone on barstools in front of the rows of reporters, and fielded questions.

Part of the reason why was because it was a game day. Later that evening, the Lakers were set to have their first game at Intuit Dome against the LA Clippers and so the team was already in game mode.

Dončić was asked about teaming up with James, whom he had asked for his jersey the first time he played against him in his rookie season. He smiled.

"It's just like a dream come true," he said. "I always look up to him. There's so many things I could learn from him. And I'm just excited, just to learn everything and now I get to play with him. So it's an amazing feeling."

As promising as his future in L.A. looked, the fact that Dallas moved on from him remained, at a minimum, perplexing. When asked about some of the things being said about him on the way out the door in Dallas, Dončić didn't engage. "I would say I always take the high road," he replied. When asked about the Mavs' possible motivations, he said, "That's their decision, so I have no comment on that. They made a decision. I don't know why." He also shot down the theory that he did not plan to sign a "supermax" extension with the franchise when he became eligible. "Absolutely not," he said. "Easy answer."

That night, when James took the court for his pregame warmups, two Clippers players who were key to the deal were on the other side of the court: Drew Eubanks and Patty Mills.

The Clippers had traded P.J. Tucker, Mo Bamba, a 2030 second-round pick and cash to the Utah Jazz for Eubanks and Mills earlier in the day on Feb. 1. Utah then waived Bamba to create the roster space to allow them to be the third team to facilitate the Lakers-Mavericks trade later that night, taking on Jalen Hood-Schifino from L.A. and receiving a second-round pick for their trouble.

James had not made any public comments about the trade yet and let his game do the talking for him, flying around the court as he put up 26 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds and 3 steals in leading the Lakers to a rout of the Clippers. Seated next to James at the end of the bench was Dončić.

"Luka's been my favorite player in the NBA for a while now," James said after the game. "I've always just tried to play the game the right way and inspire the next generation. And Luka happens to be one of them. And now we're teammates. So it'll be a very seamless transition."

Feb. 10 - Los Angeles: The first game of the Luka-LeBron era

More than an hour before Dončić arrived at Crypto.com Arena for his first game with the Lakers, James put on one of the gold No. 77 T-shirts that were placed on every one of the 18,997 seats in the building to herald the occasion.

The lower bowl was empty, except for James, a few NBA photographers setting up their equipment and a couple of support staff members rebounding for him. James' longtime friend and right-hand man, Randy Mims, told ESPN that James has incorporated the early reps to maintain an edge in his 22nd season. "We're watching them put the floor together," Mims said of the arena workers he and James are sometimes met with for those prep sessions.

The workout left an impression. Luka's father, Saša Dončić, marveled at James' continued dedication to his craft, sources said. And Dirk Nowitzki, who attended the Lakers game against the Jazz that night to support his former Mavs teammate, noted the gesture by James, sources said, recognizing the significance of an all-time great such as James showing deference to Dončić.

The game was a blowout, with L.A. hanging 72 points on the Jazz in the first half, punctuating the second quarter with Dončić hitting James with a missile of an outlet pass three-quarters of the length of the court, leading to an easy score at the rim with 49 seconds left.

Although Dončić was rusty, going 5-for-14 from the field (and just 1-for-7 from 3), when he scored an and-one layup in the third quarter, driving by Jordan Clarkson and then slowing down near the bucket to bait John Collins into a foul, James high-fived Dončić, then tapped him on the behind to celebrate the sequence, while shaking his head with a satisfied grin.

James and Dončić had texted before the game, Dončić said, with James offering him the honor of being announced last in the starting lineup -- James' usual spot in the pregame introductions. And in the pregame huddle, James took it one step further. "Luka, be your f---ing self," James shouted as the Lakers gathered their hands together. "Don't fit in, fit the f--- out."

Said Dončić: "After that speech, it was chills. I was just happy to be a part of it."

Feb. 12 - Salt Lake City: One play, even in a loss, shows tantalizing potential

With the All-Star break beginning the next day, both James and Dončić considered sitting out this final game in Utah, sources told ESPN. Doing so would have given James a couple of extra days off to rest his left foot and ankle, and Dončić extra time to rehab his lingering left calf injury.

But in a sign of commitment to each other, and the team, both players decided to play.

The Lakers lost 131-119 for just their second defeat in their past 12 games. And neither star played particularly well. Dončić had a plus-minus of minus-19 in 23 minutes and James was a minus-10 in 34.

Despite the disappointing loss, after the game, James pointed to a sequence in the third quarter that made suiting up worth it. Dončić had set a screen for Austin Reaves beyond the arc, causing Clarkson to switch on him and 7-foot center Walker Kessler to stay on Reaves. Dončić had then used a post-up dribble to back Clarkson toward the paint, spun baseline, and when Collins cut off his angle to the basket, Dončić whipped a pass to James on the perimeter. James finished the feed by swishing a catch-and-shoot 3.

"I've worked on my outside shot and my catch-and-shoot game for quite a while now to be able to sync up with someone like Luka," James told ESPN.

On L.A.'s next trip down the court, Dončić took Clarkson to the paint again, only this time he threw a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Reaves at the top of the key. Reaves stepped into the pass and knocked down a wide-open 3.

"That's a beautiful thing," James said. "And for our guys to have two guys that are like Luka and myself always trying to find guys and pinpoint guys, I think it's going to be beneficial for us."

Feb. 13-18 - All-Star break: A "beast" awakened and an early review from KD

While James made a brief appearance in San Francisco for the NBA All-Star Game -- sitting out the game for the first time in 21 selections because of his left foot injury -- Dončić was not selected for the first time since his rookie season.

Dončić used the time to get away to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. "Honestly, I was getting my mind off basketball a little bit," he said.

But not totally. When Dončić returned to L.A. with a bit of a sunburn on his face, it wasn't just from time spent on the beach. Lakers assistant coach Scott Brooks met him in Cabo and they worked out at a private, outdoor court for two hours a day, sources said. Dončić also supplemented the basketball drills by lifting weights in the gym at his hotel.

Though Dončić did not publicly comment on the constant flow of leaks from the Mavericks organization disparaging his weight and conditioning, one source close to Dončić told ESPN the comments have served as a motivator. "A beast was awakened inside him," the source said.

Meanwhile, back at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco, the James-Dončić partnership dominated conversations. The early reviews were positive.

"I think LeBron is kind of secure in his game and what he brings to the table. That makes him a great teammate and that allows him to welcome guys with open arms when they come to his team," Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant said. "He don't got to feel like he don't have to do too much to make guys comfortable. He just plays his game. He fits in with anybody.

"When you've got guys that can play off any player, smart and experienced like that, it'll work. When you've got talented, high-IQ guys, it'll take some time obviously to work out the kinks, but in the long run I think they'll be pretty sweet together."

Feb. 19 - Charlotte: "Obviously, I'm going to need some time"

Durant was right. There are kinks to work out.

The Lakers' first game after All-Star Weekend cut their break short. It was a makeup on the schedule after their January game against the Charlotte Hornets was postponed because of the Los Angeles wildfires.

As much as the Lakers are a circle-the-date opponent any time a team comes to L.A., Charlotte had added motivation. Before the break, the Lakers had rescinded their trade with the Hornets for 7-foot center Mark Williams. L.A. cited a failed physical, sources said, nixing the deal that would have sent rookie Dalton Knecht to Charlotte along with Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and the Lakers' 2031 first-round pick.

The Hornets won the game 100-97, but Williams wasn't the reason. He had a respectable 10 points and 9 rebounds, but L.A. still won the rebounding battle 50-47 and outscored Charlotte 40-26 in the paint. James even dunked on the 23-year-old center when Williams tried to protect the rim on a drive.

It was the Lakers' overall offense that failed them, with the team shooting 15-for-51 on 3-pointers (Dončić was 1-for-9) and committing 18 turnovers (Dončić had the most with six).

"That's just the reality of just having six days off as a group and trying to integrate new pieces," Redick said. "And that happens sometimes."

With the losses to Utah and Charlotte bookending the break, Dončić made it clear he was embracing whatever came with his new team.

"I'm happy to be here, man," he said. "This is one of the greatest clubs in the world. I'm just happy to be here. Obviously I'm going to need some time, but I'm happy to represent the Lakers."

Feb. 20 - Portland: "We all have to transform our game"

With Dončić out for the second night of a back-to-back on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers, James carried the Lakers to a 110-102 win, becoming the first player in NBA history with multiple 40-point games after the age of 40.

James credited his energy to a good day's rest, sleeping after the team arrived at the hotel from 4 a.m. until noon, and then squeezing in a few more hours after getting treatment on his left foot and ankle.

It was the fourth game that Dončić sat out out of the seven L.A. played since the trade, but James was cognizant of the big picture.

"Just want him to be himself -- when he gets back to himself," James told ESPN. "Obviously, he's been out since Christmas and I think he told me or said it to us, that's the most he's ever been out since he started playing basketball -- because of an injury. Obviously it's not going to happen overnight, but I believe that in order for us to ultimately be the team that we want to be with him here, he has to have the ball, he has to be able to put us all in position, he has to be him. The seven years that we've seen in the NBA with Luka, we want that Luka.

"So we all have to transform our game for the betterment of him, obviously. But it's not going to happen overnight. We know that. But my message has been, 'Just be you. You don't have to confine [your game] to us. We need to figure it out with you.' Whatever he needs, I'm here. So, whatever he needs."

With the Lakers spending the night in Portland, James checked in with Dončić on his plans after the game.

"Hey, Don," said James, who counts "The Godfather" as his favorite film, using the mafia-inspired nickname for his new teammate. "Where are you going tonight?"

"Sleep," Dončić replied. "I got to get some sleep."

Feb. 22 - Denver: A quarterback, a wide receiver and a huge win

Dončić and the Lakers shared a difficult history as they made their first trip to Ball Arena since he joined the team.

L.A. had lost eight straight games in Denver -- its last win there coming in the last game of the 2021-22 regular season. Dončić had lost four straight there with Dallas, his last victory coming Dec. 6, 2022.

But together they broke through, dominating the Nuggets in a 123-100 win. Dončić had 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals and was a plus-20 in 31 minutes. James had 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists; and Reaves finished with 23 points and 7 assists -- the three of them taking turns leading the offense, with Dončić getting the lion's share of the touches.

One of his first possessions set the tone for the game: Just like in their first game together, Dončić found James with a perfect outlet pass, flinging it from the paint after rebounding a Jamal Murray miss, the ball meeting James in stride and setting up an easy dunk that put L.A. up 4-0.

"I'm a natural-born wide receiver and he's a natural-born quarterback, so it fits perfectly," James said.

Dončić also fed James with a lob for a dunk late in the second quarter.

"I'm happy to get my first alley-oop with him," Dončić said after the game. "Next time, he's going to throw it to me."