“Blessing in Disguise”: 7x NBA All-Star Says LeBron’s Absence Unlocked Luka Doncic’s MVP-Caliber Run

In March, as Luka Doncic extended his scoring streak, LeBron James sat on the Lakers bench laughing nervously and yelling encouragement after a missed first shot. Eight months later, James is in Philadelphia and Doncic is putting up the numbers of an MVP favorite. Seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson thinks that is not a coincidence.

Speaking on Nightcap, Johnson said LeBron’s decision to leave was good for Doncic. “It was a blessing in disguise for Bron not to go back to LA,” Johnson said. “I think if Bron now, I can’t see Luka going on this type of run.”

He then explained why the roster change matters to Doncic. "I think without Bron, he knows, okay, this my ish," Johnson said. "I got the leaders, you know what I mean? I can't be out here playing no games."

James left the Lakers in free agency without a new contract offer and signed a two-year deal with the 76ers, who lead the East at 8-2. That left Doncic as the franchise's undisputed leader, which reports noted after his 10th career 50-point game in late October.

What he has done since then is the reason people are discussing MVP. Doncic leads the league at 40.1 points per game, with six 40-point games in the Lakers’ first nine games. He also tied Jerry West for the 14th-most 40-point games in NBA history.

Johnson is not alone. Former NBA guard Jeff Teague predicted before the season that Doncic would be the MVP and said the roster was underrated. Earlier in the season, it was argued that without James, Doncic could post Nikola Jokic-style numbers across scoring, assists and rebounds, a stat line that would boost his MVP case.

FanDuel had Luka Doncic at +500 to win the award before the season, the fourth-best odds in the league.

The Lakers have also shifted the offense around him, and Giannis Antetokounmpo said after the Heat loss that Doncic might be the best scorer of all time, not just right now.

There is a fair counterargument. During their two seasons together, James and Doncic made the playoffs both times but never advanced past the second round (Doncic missed the 2026 playoffs with a hamstring injury), and some analysts said the fit was awkward.

Doncic himself has been gracious about it. He told reporters that James reached out when he left the Lakers, and that he reciprocated.

That suggests Johnson's point was about roles, not about any problem between the two stars.

Johnson was not saying James held Doncic back through any fault of his own. He asserted that a star needs total ownership of a team to reach his highest level, and that a 41-year-old legend leaving created that room. Only a few players in NBA history have had both the ability and the opportunity to put up these numbers.

The test will be how long it lasts. A scoring run in November is not an MVP season, and the Lakers still need to show they can win in the spring without James’ playmaking. But for now, Doncic is scoring at a historic rate, his team is winning, and Johnson is calling it a blessing in disguise.

If the Lakers keep this up, the debate about whether LeBron's exit helped Luka may be settled sooner than anyone expected.