The Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to get their act together before the playoffs, but after what went down in Chicago, things reached a breaking point. A brutal collapse, locker room tension, and the media hounding Luka Doncic about his chemistry with LeBron James and Austin Reaves? Yeah, something had to give. And it did—JJ Redick called for an urgent meeting with his three biggest stars.

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What went down in that meeting? And why did Doncic finally snap at reporters? Let’s break it all down.

If the Lakers weren’t already on edge, their meltdown against the Bulls pushed them over. Up five with 12 seconds left, and somehow, they still lost. It was the kind of game that makes you question everything. Trust. Decision-making. Chemistry. With the playoffs creeping closer, Redick wasn’t about to sit back and let it slide.

So, before their next game against the Grizzlies, he pulled LeBron, Luka, and Reaves aside for a real conversation. No fluff, no excuses—just straight talk.

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“We challenged all three of them… to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity,” Redick revealed. “We were able to get some great stuff in the fourth quarter off that and create the sort of advantages that we envision when we put those three guys together.”

It was time for them to step up. And they did. Reaves exploded for 31 points, looking like the perfect third star next to Luka and LeBron. Redick even admitted he put a little extra pressure on him. “We challenged him a little bit on playing with a little more force and pace off the ball. And I thought that was great early,” he said.

But this meeting wasn’t just about Xs and Os. It was about trust. After what happened in Chicago, that trust had clearly taken a hit.

Locker Room Trust Took a Hit After Bulls Disaster

Let’s be real—if the Lakers don’t fumble that Bulls game, this meeting probably never happens. But they did. And it wasn’t just any loss. It was a gut punch, a full-on collapse that had everyone shaking their heads.

The moment that stung the most? That late-game miscommunication between LeBron and Reaves. Instead of securing the win, it led to a costly turnover. And then, just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse, Josh Giddey hit an absolutely ridiculous half-court shot to send the game to overtime. The Bulls took full advantage and ran away with it.

Reaves admitted the mistake. “I wanted to get the ball, go to the free throw line… I think the miscommunication might have been I was trying to hold him off instead of popping to the ball,” he explained. LeBron, never one to dodge accountability, owned up to his part, too. “Horrible turnover by myself, miscommunication the play before that… Tip your hats,” he said.

And just like that, the media had their favorite storyline: Do the Lakers’ Big 3 actually trust each other?

For weeks now, Doncic has been grilled about how he fits with LeBron and Reaves. And sure, it’s a fair question. They’ve barely played together thanks to injuries, and their net rating as a trio before the Bulls game was a concerning -6.3. But Luka? He’s tired of hearing about it.

After the loss in Chicago, he finally snapped.

“You guys ask me this question every game after every game,” he said, clearly done with the repetitive questioning. Before that, he had tried to be diplomatic: “Yeah, I mean he’s great every game. Just we gotta figure out how to play all three together.”

It’s not that Doncic doesn’t want to figure things out. In fact, he’s actively working on it. After a recent win over the Pacers, he gave a much more detailed answer.

“I think for me, it’s still a lot of work to do. I’m just trying to understand what those guys are like, what those two guys want. AR and LeBron have been playing, what, 3-4 years together? So, they know each other a little bit more. That’s gonna take a little bit of time, but I gotta watch film and adapt myself to that situation.”

That’s the kind of response that shows Luka is locked in. But no matter how much work he puts in, there’s still another major factor at play—the shock of being traded.

Despite all the chaos, Doncic has been delivering. He’s putting up 27.6 points and nearly eight assists a night. The numbers are there. Now, it’s about making it work with LeBron and Reaves.

And if that meeting with JJ Redick was any indication, they’re finally on the right track.

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