Luka Dončić takes out a full-page ad asking Lakers fans to back a "special team" on opening night

Luka Dončić had a message for Los Angeles on opening day and he paid for a full page to deliver it.

The Lakers star took out a full-page newspaper ad in Los Angeles on Wednesday addressed to the city. "Tonight we start our run for a championship," he wrote.

"Every player dreams of holding that trophy," Dončić wrote. "To do it for all you amazing fans would mean everything to us."

A promise to the city

"We have a special team," he wrote. "We know what you expect and we are going to do everything in our power to deliver it."

Dončić also thanked fans for how they have treated him since he arrived. "From the moment I arrived in LA, you welcomed me with open arms. That is something I will never forget."

"So here is my promise to you: we are going to give you everything we have, every single night. No excuses. No nights off."

He closed with a call for fans to show up all season. "But we cannot do this alone," he wrote. "You are the best fans in the world and we are going to need you. Every game, bring it with us."

A very different Lakers team

The Lakers last won the title in 2020 with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way. The roster has been completely remade since then.

Los Angeles traded Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Dončić in 2025. James left in free agency this offseason and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Lakers open the regular season Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors at 9 p.m. Central.