The 2026-27 season has arrived for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

It's game day for the Lakers, as they kick start their new era led by Luka Doncic. 

Doncic will enter his second full season as a Laker, and many hope it will be a promising one. The 27-year-old has established himself as one of the league's best players; however, one thing hangs over his head: an NBA championship. 

The Lakers are all about winning titles, with 17 championship banners hanging in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena, the second-most in the NBA behind the arch-rival Boston Celtics, and Doncic hopes to bring not just one but multiple to the organization.

Hours before the first tip against the Golden State Warriors, Doncic took out a full-page ad in the LA Times and sent an ambitious message to fans, via Dan Woike of The Athletic.

Luka Doncic Promises Lakers Fans One Thing Ahead of New Season

A full page ad from Luka Dončić is in today’s LA Times pic.twitter.com/7KbUydvYL1

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) October 21, 2026

"DEAR LA, Tonight we start our run for a championship. Every player dreams of holding that trophy. To do it for all of you amazing fans would mean everything to us," Doncic said. 

Lakers’ New-Look Roster Will Be Put to the Test This Season

Doncic believes the Lakers have all the tools to not only compete for an NBA title, but win one this season, which is a bold stance for a team with an almost completely rebuilt roster around the reigning scoring champion and Austin Reaves.

After all, the six-time All-NBA guard helped build the new-look roster. Doncic played a big role in helping to land Walker Kessler, as he begged the front office to acquire an "A-list center" and made it clear that the 25-year-old was the one he wanted on the squad ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The Lakers and Doncic believe that Kessler is that player. We'll have to wait and see how that plays out throughout the season and whether he's worth the substantial commitment the team made to bring him in.

As for the rest of the roster, the Lakers are younger and more athletic than in previous seasons. However, several question marks remain, and time will tell whether the team can address those concerns internally or needs to make significant changes ahead of the February trade deadline.

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