The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a big win on Saturday night, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies by a final score of 134-127. In a hard-fought game between two Western Conference teams battling for playoff seeding, the Lakers made enough plays down the stretch. Led by Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, Los Angeles moved to 45-29 on the year.
Reaves led the way in scoring with 31 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds. He shot 8-for-16 from the floor and made five of his eight 3-point attempts. Doncic scored 29 points, dished out nine assists, grabbed eight rebounds, and shot 8-for-18 from the floor, making 11 of 12 free throw attempts. As for James, the legend put up 25 points, eight assists, six rebounds, three steals, and a block, shooting 10-for-21 from the floor.
During the game, Doncic and James had a moment that has gone viral, reminding fans of an iconic picture of James and former superstar teammate Dwyane Wade. SportsCenter shared the image on X and it has been met with a ton of reactions, comments, and shares. Fans immediately started chiming in on the similarities between the two photos. "These moments are pure magic! Can't beat that kind of energy on the court!" one fan wrote. Another fan added, "The sequel is finally here." "The OG holds a special place in my heart but that's a great pic," another comment read. "LeBron runnin it back," another post said, while one final comment read, "New era."
Next up for the Lakers will be a Monday night home matchup against the Houston Rockets.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic are both used to operating with the ball in their hands, so it naturally has taken some time for them to gel together on the Los Angeles Lakers. James said he didn’t have a problem deferring to Doncic and that is exactly what he has done, helping make the transition to a new team much easier for the Slovenian superstar.
Combined with Austin Reaves, the Lakers have three ball-dominant players, but there is of course only one ball to go around. Those three are starting to figure it out though, as was evident during Saturday night’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies when they all stuffed the statsheet. Reaves led all scorers with 31 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block, but Doncic and James were not far behind. Doncic had 29 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and a steal, while James finished with 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and a block. As a trio, they were responsible for 120 of the Lakers’ 134 points in the victory.
Two of those points came on a fastbreak when Doncic found James for a dunk. In the process, they essentially recreated James’ iconic photo with Dwyane Wade when they were on the Miami Heat: "LUKA NO-LOOK TO LEBRON ON THE FASTBREAK 🪄 KING JAMES FINISHES WITH THE ONE-HANDED JAM 👑" The Lakers put up 72 first-half points!
Doncic grew up idolizing James and wanting to play just like him, so now being teammates and getting to drop dimes to the 40-year-old must be a surreal experience. It will also likely be great for Doncic’s career as he can learn a lot from LeBron when it comes to longevity and taking care of his body.
After the Lakers’ win over the Grizzlies, head coach JJ Redick revealed he had a meeting with LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves where he challenged the trio to play well together offensively. "We challenged all three of them when we get to their three-man actions to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity," Redick said. "We were able to get some great stuff in the fourth quarter off that and create advantages we envisioned creating when we put those three guys together." While building chemistry takes time, James, Doncic, and Reaves definitely seem to be making strides as the end of the regular season nears.
The internet has seen its fair share of basketball photos, but some images are untouchable. That’s what made Saturday night’s snapshot of Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Dončić so controversial. The duo recreated one of the most legendary NBA photos of all time — James and Dwyane Wade in Miami Heat jerseys, with Wade throwing a lob as James soared in for a dunk.
But the fans? Well, let’s just say not everyone was down with it. Lakers fans loved it. NBA purists? Not so much. When the team’s social media account posted the now-viral image of Dončić tossing up a flashy no-look pass to a trailing James for a slam, the reactions were instant — and brutal. "Shouldn’t even exist," one fan wrote, rejecting the comparison to the iconic Miami Heat moment. Others piled on, calling it a weak attempt to mimic history. "Not even close," another replied. That Wade-James photo? It’s the gold standard.
So when the Lakers tried to paint Saturday’s moment as a spiritual successor, some fans weren’t having it. "Lol coulda just said they had their own iconic photo together," one user clapped back. Still, even the critics had to admit that it was a sick play. A full-court steal, a flashy dish, a thunderous dunk. Classic Hollywood basketball.
In the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies, Dončić read the play. He picked off a pass and raced toward the hoop. His options? Lay it in, kick it to a teammate, or go for style points. He chose to ride in style. Without even looking, Dončić flicked the ball over his shoulder to James, who caught it in stride and hammered it home. The Lakers bench went wild. The crowd gasped. And just like that, a moment was born.
Los Angeles needed that energy, too. The team built a 20-point lead early, only to watch it evaporate late. Austin Reaves stepped up with 31 points and eight assists, Dončić added 29 with nine assists, and James finished with 25 to help close out a 134-127 win over Memphis. The Grizzlies, adjusting after parting ways with coach Taylor Jenkins, fought back behind Desmond Bane’s 29 points and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 24, but it wasn’t enough.
As for the photo? Love it or hate it, it’s already burned into NBA Twitter’s memory. And if this Lakers team makes a deep playoff run, that shot might carry more weight. For now, it’s just a flashy moment, a heated debate, and a reminder that some images in NBA history can’t be touched.
