Luka Doncic has cemented himself as a bona fide NBA superstar in his so far brief, yet successful tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. While he remains out with a hamstring injury, with an uncertain return timeline, team owner Jeanie Buss knows his importance to the franchise.
When speaking on a recent radio show, Buss discussed Doncic and his impact on the team. While he isn’t playing right now, the owner had glowing words for the Slovenian star, referencing franchise hero Kobe Bryant in the same breath.
Doncic’s injury return, as well as that of Austin Reaves, remains the most important thing for the Lakers in their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, but while they wait for a new update, Buss’ comments shed light on how important the 27-year-old has become to the team in just his 15 months playing in Los Angeles.
Jeanie Buss On Luka Doncic For The Lakers
GettyJeanie Buss attends the Los Angeles Clippers & Comcast NBCUniversal’s NBA All-Star Legendary Tip-Off Celebration at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on February 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
While a guest on the Stephen A. Smith radio show on Sirius XM, Buss talked about Doncic and what he means to the Lakers.
“I knew he was a great player, an All-Star, but the fact that he joins the Lakers and immediately becomes the number one selling jersey in the NBA, that he led the league in scoring. I knew he was good,” Buss said. “What he brings to us globally in terms of fans, we just have so much to look forward to, to watch him continue to grow. And he’s a winner. He wants to win.”
She also added that the late Bryant would have been ‘excited’ about the Slovenian now playing for the 17-time NBA champions.
“I have a soft spot in my heart for him because the last time I saw Kobe alive was about a month before he passed away at the Lakers-Dallas game with Gigi, because Luka Doncic was Gigi’s favorite player. I know that Kobe would be excited that he’s now
“And, of course, I have a soft spot in my heart for him because the last time I saw Kobe alive was about a month before he passed, he came to the Lakers-Dallas game with Gigi, because Luka was Gigi’s favorite player. So I know that Kobe would be excited that he’s now a Laker and will continue to lead this franchise into the foreseeable future.”
Buss was right in that Lakers’ Doncic jersey sales topped the charts last year. He’s since fallen to number two behind Stephen Curry in the latest report from the NBA, yet still, as she said, he has brought a new excitement to a team that was previously filled with questions about the future of LeBron James as the leading man.
For now, however, he remains out with the hamstring strain and has an uncertain return status for the playoffs.
When Is Luka Doncic Coming Back? Latest Injury Return News For Lakers Playoffs
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
In simple terms, nobody knows when Doncic will make his return from injury. He was ruled out indefinitely and has yet to be re-evaluated by the team.
The Slovenian did travel to Europe in hopes of getting additional treatment to speed up his recovery, but it remains to be seen if that will change anything.
The typical return timeline for a grade 2 hamstring injury is about three to six weeks, with a high chance of re-injury after coming back.
There is a chance he comes back at some point in the Lakers vs Rockets playoff series, if Los Angeles can extend it, which looks to be the case after the Game 1 win. There remains hope that Doncic and Reaves could return anytime from Game 4 to Game 7 of the series, but until the Lakers offer new injury updates on both, that remains to be determined.
Still, head coach JJ Redick has maintained that Los Angeles will do what they can to keep their season alive to get the two leading scorers back.
“The mindset for our team and for those two guys, like we’re gonna try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” he said, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. “We don’t know what that is, and that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
For now, the Lakers are up in the series, but awaiting news about updates on the potential injury return of Doncic and Reaves.
Lakers Owner Has Strong Words For Luka Doncic Amid Looming Injury Return