[Bill Simmons] Luka belongs to the Lakers fans already. "The buzz in the arena ... the only other time I felt it at a Laker game like that was when Kobe was playing." The Ringer’s Bill Simmons discusses watching Luka Doncic play for the Lakers in person for the first time.

NBA analyst Bill Simmons was in attendance at the Crypto.com Arena to see Doncic lead the Lakers to victory, where he watched Luka Doncic in person on the LA Lakers for the first time.

Speaking on his podcast he recounted the experience, comparing the buzz around the arena to the impact Kobe Bryant used to have on the fans.

He explained: “It is different. And I’m not saying it was bad before, but the energy reminded me of what it was like when I went to that Kobe game.

“It’s the same thing, and you kind of either have that or you don’t, and he has it, and it’s one of the many reasons why that trade is ___ing incredibly stupid [for Dallas].”

He described the vibe at the Lakers seeing Doncic as being one where you could believe something spectacular could happen on any given night, and likened it to peak Steph Curry on the Warriors, using the two words ‘no ceiling’ to sum up the feeling the superstar imparts.

Simmons explained: “He’s still one of the five best players in the league. But it’s like, I wonder what else is there? So you have that.

“You have the performance aspect, which Kobe was unbelievable at, and LeBron is great at too, but Kobe, there was a demeanor to him at these games, especially as he really bought into it. That was just awesome.”

“You have the ‘no ceiling’ in any game you go to with Luka, which I think is as rare as it gets.

“And it’s the thing that I think made Curry so special the last 10 years, it’s like, am I at the game right now where curry is going to hit 15 threes? Am I at the game right now? Where he going to get 70?”