What Luka Dončić Had to Say After LeBron James's Decision to Leave Lakers
What Luka Dončić Had to Say After LeBron James's Decision to Leave Lakers
Brigid Kennedy|
In this story:
Los Angeles LakersIt's the end of LeEra in Los Angeles.
After eight seasons in Southern California, LeBron James has informed the Lakers that he will be leaving the team for the 2026-27 campaign, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday.
It's a huge piece of news—the near-decade James spent with the Lakers is the longest single period he has remained with a team in his 23-season career. Moreover, the bombshell also confirms that the four-time title winner will return for yet another year in the league, thereby delaying his forthcoming retirement a little bit longer.
LeBron James Free Agency: Three Destinations That Make Sense After Superstar Chose to Leave Lakers
With James gone, Luka Dončić will become the face of the Lakers franchise, as was the plan when the Lakers traded for him back at the February 2025 trade deadline. The future Hall of Famers have had a great working relationship during their time in the Purple and Gold, often praising one another before and after games and hyping one another up. That mutual respect was again made clear on Tuesday, when Dončić commented on James's decision after it was made public.
"An honor to play with and learn from you," the Slovenian guard wrote on his Instagram story, alongside a photo of him and James.
Take a look at that below:
Dončić and James didn't have all that long together in L.A. They were teammates for just about a season and a half, and lost valuable playing time when James began the 2025-26 on the sideline (he was dealing with a difficult bout of sciatica; it can be easy to forget that he is 41).
They didn't reach incredibly great heights, either. The Lakers lost in the first round of the 2024-25 postseason—their first with Dončić—then exited in the second round this spring. That's not to say things couldn't have been different if they had more time. But James's choice to round out his career with another squad (Golden State? Cleveland?) is probably the right decision for everybody involved.
That the pair—two of the brightest stars in the NBA—are parting on such good terms is incredibly notable. This league is known for big personalities and contentious rivalries; it is not uncommon for players to be beefing with guys both on and off their rosters. Plus, when Dončić came to L.A., it was as part of a deal that sent James's close friend Anthony Davis to Dallas. It would not be hard to imagine a world where their relationship began with resentment or animosity.
But it never got there, at least not publicly.
In fact, while speaking at his introductory press conference in Februrary 2025, Dončić said that James called him immediately after the trade was announced.
"It's like a dream come true, I've always looked up to him," he added of the opportunity to play with LeBron. "There's so many things I can learn from him and I'm just excited, you know. Just to learn everything and I get to play with him. So it's an amazing feeling."
In a world of messy basketball breakups, we're happy these two kept it clean. And now, it's Luka's turn to lead the Lakers to a title.
More NBA from Sports Illustrated
Published 4 minutes ago | Modified 4 minutes ago
BRIGID KENNEDYBrigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.
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REPORT: Serial Killer's Therapist Allegedly Practiced For Years Without A License, Faces Felony Charges
USREPORT: Serial Killer’s Therapist Allegedly Practiced For Years Without A License, Faces Felony Charges
(Photo by James Carbone-Pool/Getty Images)
Christine Sellers Contributor June 30, 2026 3:49 PM ET June 30, 2026 3:49 PM ET Christine Sellers Contributor Font Size:A serial killer’s therapist reportedly practiced clinical social work in New York for years without a license and faces felony charges, prosecutors said.
Alison Winter, serial killer Rex Heuermann’s therapist, received $60,000 in reimbursement payments for insurance claims from 2018 to 2024 without having a clinical social work license, Newsday reported, citing prosecutors. Over $50,000 was allegedly billed via Cigna. The insurance company reportedly requires masters-level clinicians who work independently to have a state license in order to be part of their network. Winter also obtained reimbursement payments via UnitedHealthcare and Medicare, according to court documents.
Winter obtained a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Adelphi University in 1999, the school told Newsday. However, a verification search of the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions does not generate a license for Winter under the Master Social Worker category.
Gilgo Beach serial’s therapist didn’t have a license to practice, bombshell report claims https://t.co/dKXpwnmEEB pic.twitter.com/UIXQ7B3ttI
— New York Post (@nypost) June 30, 2026
Prosecutors charged Winter with grand larceny in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree, scheme to defraud, and 14 counts of unauthorized practice of a profession, a Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office (SCDAO) spokeswoman told the Daily Caller. She was already facing the felony charges when she heard Heuermann’s confession in which he allegedly admitted to killing eight women, Newsday reported.
Melissa McCardle, a licensed clinical social worker and dean of the school of education and human services at Molloy University in Rockville Centre, reacted to Winter’s charges, according to Newsday.
“Nobody in New York State can practice psychotherapy as a social worker without a license,” McCardle said. Psychotherapists who obtain a Master’s Degree in Social Work must take a licensure exam and go through three years’ employment under the supervision of a licensed professional before applying for certification to practice by themselves, she added. (RELATED: Cheek Swab Taken From Wife Of Alleged Gilgo Beach Serial Killer Matches DNA On Victim’s Remains: REPORT)
Winter appears to have operated a psychotherapy practice in Sayville, New York, according to Healthline. An exterior sign with the name of the practice has since been taken down and the practice is labeled by Google as “permanently closed,” according to Newsday.
Winter has garnered national attention for appearing in a Peacock documentary series about Heuermann’s case, the outlet reported. Heuermann was sentenced to life without parole for the murders of eight women in Gilgo Beach between 1993 and 2010 on June 17.
Her next court date is set for July 21, the SCDAO told the Caller.
Exclusive | New details of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rehearsal dinner revealed ahead of MSG wedding
Exclusive | Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce rehearsal dinner details for MSG wedding revealed- News
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New details of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rehearsal dinner revealed ahead of MSG wedding
By Joe Marino and Eric Todisco Published June 30, 2026, 3:22 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add Page Six on GoogleTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s rehearsal dinner will be held at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Page Six can confirm.
Sources told us that the theater is seen as a secure location that will help avoid attention from paparazzi.
Page Six has reached out to MSG for comment.
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The Infosys Theater is a 5,600-seat entertainment venue located inside the iconic New York City-based arena.
The theater has hosted performances by music icons like Elton John, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan and Kanye West and tapings of “Wheel of Fortune” and the Daytime Emmys.
It’s also been the stage for pivotal sporting events like the NBA Draft from 2001 to 2010.
Swift has never performed at the Infosys Theater, though she has put on concerts inside the main MSG arena.
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Page Six previously confirmed Swift and Kelce, both 36, will be hosting an intimate rehearsal dinner with around 100 of their close family and friends inside MSG on July 2.
The next day, the couple will allegedly have between 1,000 and 2,000 guests at their larger wedding bash in the arena.
We also heard Swift and Kelce are having a massive castle built inside a garden for the July 3 nuptials.
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The A-list guest list includes Selena Gomez, Zoë Kravitz, Ed Sheeran, Karlie Kloss, Suki Waterhouse, Gigi Hadid and more, according to our sources.
Another insider shared that Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw are set to perform at the bash.
Ahead of the multi-day event, various deliveries were made to the venue, with some boxes being labeled “Garden Party.”
On Tuesday, a red carpet was rolled out on MSG’s entrance steps — and then removed — by workers .
An employee confirmed to Page Six the decor is for a “wedding.”
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The “Style” singer and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end got engaged in August 2025 after two years of dating.
They allegedly picked MSG as their wedding venue instead of Rhode Island — where Swift owns a massive $18 million mansion — due to privacy reasons.
The couple also changed their wedding plans after realizing they wanted to invite a lot more people than they thought, our sources said.
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