The answer to the “next face of the NBA” question was rather obvious when Luka Doncic became a Los Angeles Laker on Feb. 3, 2025. Since his arrival, the Slovenian has led the NBA in merchandise sales, social media engagement, YouTube views and just about every metric to gauge a player’s popularity.
While LeBron James and Stephen Curry remain much bigger names, especially outside the NBA bubble, Doncic may be becoming the most popular hooper of his generation.
The NBA announced Tuesday that Doncic leads the list of the top-10 viewed players across social media platforms this season, with his 845 million views topping San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama’s 705 million at second place.
Curry (703 million), James (641 million) and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (495 million) round out the top-5, followed by Nikola Jokic (445 million), Austin Reaves (409 million), Kevin Durant (331 million), Cooper Flagg (312 million) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (304 million).
Luka Doncic Embraces L.A.
Doncic was consistently top-10 in the aforementioned metrics as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, but his popularity has skyrocketed since arriving in Los Angeles. Ahead of the season, he spoke candidly about how the heartbreak of being shipped from Dallas — his first home in the United States — quickly turned to glee when he realized the day-to-day joys of residing in Southern California.
Over the summer, he reportedly purchased a $25 million Manhattan Beach mansion previously owned by tennis Hall of Famer Maria Sharapova.
“The ocean is my favorite thing, and the beach,” he said on Media Day. “I’m a big water guy. Everywhere I played, I never got to experience the ocean, so now it’s great.”
Wants to be Next Lakers Great
Doncic has also embraced the responsibility that comes with being the No. 1 guy for the Lakers, the most storied franchise in modern NBA history. He recently spoke of following in the footsteps of Kobe Bryant, who brought five titles to the franchise, and LeBron James, who carried the franchise forward with Banner No. 17 in 2020.
“Kobe brought so many championships here. LeBron brought a championship here. So I want to be the next one to do that, for sure,” Doncic declared. “I met Kobe, I’m playing with LeBron, just as a little kid in Slovenia, I just wanted to play basketball. Just wanted to touch the NBA. And now I’m playing with the best.”
“Honestly, just sharing the court with him. It’s the 23rd season. It’s insane,” Doncic recently said. “Just sharing the court with him is special. He sees things that other people can’t. He’s here to help us all, so it’s amazing. It’s only his first game back, and he plays amazing, so I’m excited to play some more.”
Doncic (left calf contusion) will miss Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, but is listed day-to-day for Thursday’s Christmas Day clash against the Houston Rockets. If he plays, it’ll mark his first Christmas Day game as a Laker, something that would further his place as the new face of basketball.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post NBA Announcement Seals Lakers’ Luka Doncic as New Face of Basketball appeared first on Heavy Sports.