Slovenian guard Luka Doncic added another chapter to his growing legacy in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform on Sunday, surpassing Jerry West’s longstanding record for most points through the first four games of an NBA season.
By dropping a game-high 29 points in the Lakers’ 130-120 victory over the Miami Heat, Doncic increased his tally to 165 points through his first four games in the 2025-26 season, eclipsing West’s 154 points in the 1969-70 campaign.
Per NBA.com/Stats:
Luka Dončić’s 165 points are the most by a Lakers player through the first four games of a season!
Luka Dončić (2025-26) – 165
Jerry West (1969-70) – 154
Kobe Bryant (2005-06) – 146
Doncic also surpassed the record of the late Kobe Bryant, who posted 146 points through the first four games of his unforgettable 2005-06 campaign, when the “Black Mamba” averaged 35.4 points through 80 games. If Doncic can maintain his PPG of 41.3, he will also break Elgin Baylor’s single-season record. Baylor, who averaged over 34 points thrice, set the Lakers record when he tallied 38.3 points in 1961-62.
Austin Reaves Also Rewriting History
Incidentally, Austin Reaves, Doncic’s backcourt partner, is also off to a historic start to the 2025-26 season. Reaves, who posted 143 points through his first four outings, is fourth on the all-time Lakers list, trailing only Doncic, West and Bryant.
In Sunday’s win, Reaves added another 26 points and 11 assists, increasing his tally to 265 points and 65 assists through the first seven games of the new season. If Doncic and Reaves can sustain their current form, the Lakers (5-2) will be a force to reckon with, especially when LeBron James returns from his injury absence.
Lakers Backcourt Blossoming
Although the Lakers posted a season-high 130 points on Sunday, Doncic felt he and Reaves left points on the table by not shooting efficiently. To his point, both guards shot 9-of-22 from the floor, including a combined 5-of-25 from three-point range.
“We could have had like 150 points, honestly, if me and AR hit some shots,” Doncic said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “But, overall, the most important part was how we started the game. We started brilliantly both defensively and sharing the ball.”
To Doncic’s point, the Lakers scored a staggering 77 points through the first half, including 43 in the first quarter. JJ Redick’s team shot 63.6% in the first quarter, going 14-of-22 from the field and 5-of-12 from deep. In the second period, they sustained the same efficiency, connecting on 15-of-25 from the field and 4-of-9 from distance.
Reaves joked about his blossoming bromance with Doncic, calling the Slovenian star “an idiot” for acting like a child.
“He’s an idiot,” Reaves said of Doncic, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I don’t know what he did yesterday but he was in a really good mood today — joking around, having a good time. … It’s human nature when things last year happen [trade from Dallas Mavericks]. I’m sure he was in a state of shock and couldn’t believe that he had to move and move his family. It was tough.
“Now, he’s just getting comfortable and having a good time. But he acts like a kid. He needs to grow up at some point.”
The Lakers (5-2) will try to build on their three-game winning streak when they travel to the Portland Trail Blazers (4-2) for a second night of a back-to-back on Monday.
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