Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic showed his commitment to the organization by signing a new three-year, $165 million contract extension over the weekend. The Lakers are also committed to the young guard, who they view as the next star who could be the face of the franchise when LeBron James leaves or retires. When Doncic’s new contract was signed, the team had a press conference, and most of his teammates were present.
His co-star, LeBron James, didn’t attend the presser but reached out to the Slovenian star via FaceTime, according to reports. Another teammate of Doncic’s who wasn’t present during the event was James’ son, Bronny. According to reports, the younger James was with his father on vacation.
Longtime sports radio host Dan Patrick noted his absence. During the recent episode of his program, he called out the young guard for not being present at Doncic’s contract signing.
“You had a lot of players who were there. LeBron [James] was not there. Although, he FaceTimed Luka [Doncic.],” the media personality said.
“The one person who I thought should’ve been his son. Bronny James, if he wants to stay longer (with the Lakers) after LeBron leaves, that’s your teammate,” Patrick said. “Bronny James should’ve been there. You’re the last guy on the roster, you should be there.”
Dan Patrick criticizes Bronny James for not attending Luka Dončić’s press conference
"Bronny James should've been there. You're the last guy on the roster, you should be there."
(🎥 @dpshow )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 4, 2025
“You should be there, it’s important.”
While it would’ve been great for the Los Angeles Lakers to have Bronny during Doncic’s contract extension presser, there were no reports that the team was disappointed with his absence.
Doncic wants to win with the Los Angeles Lakers
One of the reasons why Doncic signed a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers was that he sees a future with the organization. The 6-foot-6 guard is committed to succeeding with the team, as he’s the new focus of the front office.
“Being a Laker is an honor, and I wanted to be here,” the Slovenian star said after signing a new deal. When you look up here, so many great names and what they’ve achieved. I want to be up there too one day.”
“Honestly, I think we have a great team,” he added. “We have what we need to compete for the championship. I will bring whatever I can bring and try to win every game no matter what. We’ve got some new great guys on the team, so you know we’re going to go for it.”
Doncic is a generational talent, and many believe that he can bring championships to the Los Angeles Lakers soon.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
