A simple question making the rounds in Los Angeles ended up saying a lot more than expected. In a short street video, Lakers fans were asked who they would trust with the final shot if the game was on the line. The options were LeBron James or Luka Doncic. Ten fans were asked. All ten picked Luka. LeBron received zero votes.
VIDEO: Lakers fans were asked: Game on the line, who are you picking to take the last shot, LeBron or Luka? pic.twitter.com/S3dOiz21bV
— SLO HOOPS FAN 🇸🇮 (@SloHoopsFan) January 26, 2026
At first glance, that result feels shocking. LeBron is one of the most clutch players the league has ever seen, backed by an endless list of late-game moments and playoff daggers. Yet when you zoom out and consider the current version of the Lakers, the response starts to make sense.
Luka is the engine of this team. At 26 years old, he is averaging 33.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field and 34.3% from three-point range. He also takes and makes some of the most difficult shots in the league. Step-backs over double teams, contested pull-ups, off-balance floaters. These are shots most players avoid. Luka hunts them. When the clock is bleeding out, and the defense knows exactly what is coming, fans trust the guy who thrives in chaos.
There is also the reality of age. LeBron is 41. That is not a criticism. It is context. If this were a younger version of LeBron, the fan vote would probably swing the other way in a landslide. No matter how much debate exists around his clutch reputation, the numbers have always supported him. He owns the most clutch points of all time, the most clutch shots, and the most playoff buzzer beaters in NBA history.
Even this season, LeBron has been elite late in games. Since January 1st, he has led the league in fourth-quarter scoring with 104 points and holds the best fourth-quarter plus-minus at +66. He is also top five in fourth-quarter assists. Overall, he is averaging 22.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists while shooting an efficient 50.7% from the field and 32.8% from three-point range.
So why did he get zero votes?
Because this is Luka’s team now. Fans see him as the franchise cornerstone, the closer by default, and the player who will have the ball in his hands when everything breaks down. LeBron still closes games. He still makes winning plays. But in the final shot scenario, perception matters almost as much as production.
The Lakers are 27-16, sitting fifth in the West, and they are spoiled with options. Luka, LeBron, and Austin Reaves all have the trust of the coaching staff late. That is a good problem to have. Still, the fan vote revealed the shift. The torch may not be fully passed, but when the game is on the line, Lakers fans already know who they expect to be holding it.
