The iconic, polarizing duo of Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless reunited, and the inevitable happened. Once again, they broke into a shouting match over LeBron James’ legacy in Los Angeles. Only this time with a slight nuance: Luka Doncic’s physical transformation since the 41-year-old left the Los Angeles Lakers for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Lakers’ hot start to the 2026-27 season instantly reignited their trademark fireworks on First Take. The central point of contention focused on the high-flying 7–2 Lakers and whether the franchise is genuinely better off following the departure of LeBron James.

Smith was already dreading the impending headache when he posed the question directly to Bayless. And like SAS and anyone who’s seen this show could predict, Bayless did not hold back, declaring that the shift in hierarchy was long overdue.

“Isn’t that obvious to you?” Bayless began. After Smith’s resounding “No,” he continued, “I believe that Luka Doncic got sick and tired of having to share the stage with a LeBron James who couldn’t live up to being LeBron James anymore as he hit 40 years of age.”

Cue Smith’s headache returning.

As Smith buried his face in his hands, Bayless pivoted to praise Doncic’s dramatic offseason physical transformation, noting how the 27-year-old Slovenian got leaner in the offseason and expanded his game. While his physical improvement since missing the Lakers’ postseason due to a hamstring strain created MVP buzz, the annual NBA General Manager preseason survey gave him zero MVP votes.

Yet, Bayless said, “He’s now the favorite to be the MVP because, you know what I appreciate about him, Stephen A.? I never was the biggest fan. He is an obvious superstar who has worked hard in—without LeBron James—to improve all of his obvious weaknesses.”

Bayless argued, “He [Doncic] used to be a high-volume, sometimes leading the league in three-point attempts, and a low-volume maker from three-point range. And he used to play no defense, as you know, and he used to have a double chin, as you know, and have a little girth that he dragged around, a little spare tire that he dragged around. All those things have improved this year.”

Smith was seemingly warming up to Bayless’ assessment of Doncic’s potential. Until it steered back to LeBron and a longtime sore point.

“Now the stage has been cleared of a LeBron James who, I got to say this, his LA tenure, LeBron’s, was completely overrated,” Bayless added, firing another shot at James’ legacy. “He got pass after pass in LA just because in 2020, in the bubble in Orlando, he won a Mickey Mouse championship.”

Predictably, Stephen A. was screaming, shouting, denying the ‘Mickey Mouse’ label. He immediately pushed back on the disrespect toward the 2020 title, cutting in to defend the bubble victory’s mental and physical toll before stating flatly, “There is no team in the NBA that is better off without LeBron James.”

As Stephen A. and Skip have proven, Doncic’s physical overhaul has been one of the central storylines of the 2026–27 season’s opening weeks. Working in Europe alongside his long-time strength trainer, Anže Maček, Doncic spent a 203-day basketball hiatus slimming down to approximately 230 pounds. The weight loss addressed long-standing durability concerns after a Grade 2 hamstring strain sidelined him late last season.

Beyond the physical changes, Doncic’s statistical engine has taken complete command of the Lakers’ offense. Through his opening slate of games, the 6x All-Star is posting MVP-caliber numbers, averaging 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. He is currently shooting a career-high 43.1% from beyond the arc on a staggering 13.6 three-point attempts per game, leading the NBA in both scoring average and made three-pointers per contest.

During Wednesday night’s 116–103 road victory over the Sacramento Kings, Doncic poured in 40 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists to move the Lakers into a tie for second place in the Western Conference at 7–2.

The departure of James also provided general manager Rob Pelinka with roughly $52 million in freed-up salary cap space, allowing Los Angeles to retool its roster depth.

The front office secured key long-term pieces around Doncic, re-signing Austin Reaves while acquiring center Walker Kessler and depth contributors, Ziaire Williams, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes.

While analysts still debate whether Doncic can maintain his defensive consistency over an 82-game schedule, the revamped Lakers have blown past preseason GM projections that had them finishing sixth in the West. Yet, Skip and Stephen A. will have to agree to disagree.