One-time NBA champion Trevor Ariza is not yet convinced the Los Angeles Lakers have assembled a championship-caliber roster around superstar guard Luka Doncic .
"On paper, I don't believe so," Ariza told Lakers On SI, with defense being the team's Achilles heel.
During a wide-ranging exclusive interview, the former Lakers forward, who played nearly two decades in the NBA, discussed the Lakers' championship chances heading into the 2026-27 campaign, LeBron James ' legacy, his relationship with Kobe Bryant , the franchise's pending $12.5 billion ownership change and the inaugural Trevor Ariza Celebrity Impact Weekend in Turks and Caicos.
Editor's note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Mar 27, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Do you think Luka Doncic will win a championship with the Lakers?
"What I've seen from Luka, I would say Luka is very, very good. He's an unbelievable offensive talent, but what we have seen is that when teams that are not in the top 10 in offense and defense have a hard time winning it all.
"If a team that Luka Doncic is the primary player on, I think in order for that team to win, the defense has to be a part of that DNA and a huge part of that diet. Until his teams play defense and the defensive rating is high, that will probably be their Achilles heel."
Do you believe the Lakers have assembled a championship-caliber roster around Luka?
"If they have the players to complement the strengths of Luka and the deficiencies, then yes, they will be a pretty good team.
"Do I think this team that assembled right now is a championship team? You can never really tell this early. But on paper, I don't believe so, but I've been wrong about teams before, and I'm not really paying that close attention to what they're doing. So, when you have a player like Luka, you always have an opportunity to get into the playoffs. It's just, are you gonna be able to be a top team in defense and offense, and give yourself a chance to win a championship?
"That will be the telltale sign of whether the team led by Luka Doncic is championship-contending."
With LeBron James gone, what's the biggest adjustment that Luka has to make going forward, as he goes from sharing the stage to carrying the full weight of the Lakers franchise?
"It'll be just like how it was for him in Dallas except for now you are on a bigger and brighter stage again. The fan base in Dallas was amazing and is amazing and not to like discredit what they do and what that franchise is done but playing here in L.A. is just a completely different thing and It's it's gonna be a lot of weight on him, but I do believe that he has the ability to carry that weight."
How did you react to the Luka Doncic trade?
"I didn't understand it. I couldn't believe it because I'm looking like, 'Damn, like this dude is about to be the MVP of the league, and out of nowhere he's just out of there?
"He is the franchise or a franchise player. So just to see someone like that move so early, it had to be a breakdown on both sides, but again, it is something that the Lakers are privileged to have.
"It just seems like they always find those star players, and they get the opportunity to put on that purple and gold jersey, and a lot of the time, the players like Luka, like LeBron, like AD, they come here, and they win. Like Pau Gasol , back when he got to L.A. They find ways to win and represent the purple and gold right."
May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LeBron spent eight seasons with the Lakers before signing with the Philadelphia 76ers . How should Lakers fans assess his legacy?
"It's kind of unfair, because being in L.A. and being from L.A., you were spoiled with lifelong Lakers, people who've been there for a long time and grew with the organization, and just made their imprint on the organization in that way. LeBron coming to L.A. with who he is already, it kind of tainted what I guess Laker fans look at it is like Lakers for life, but when he got here, everything changed, everything went upwards, ticket prices increased (laughs). The jersey sales probably increased. We were starting to win more. We got a championship out of it.
"So his time here should be celebrated just like everybody else who has won the title. He's a Laker. He's been a Laker. I think whatever negativity he gives might be unwarranted a little bit."
Do you view LeBron going to the 76ers as ring-chasing, competitive ambition, or is there a difference?
"There was a point in time when he was going to the [NBA] Finals like every single year. So to say that he's ring-chasing, I don't know if that's like a thing to say more so than he's exercising his right to move about the country in the ways that he may see fit.
"Again, my career, I moved around a lot. So I got the opportunity to see a lot of different things, meet a lot of different people, and enjoy a lot of different markets as well, and just because maybe the way he's moving around and the power that he has to move the way he wants to move, maybe it's rubbing people the wrong way, but that's in his right. He can do whatever he wants to do.
"He's worked his butt off for his whole career to be able to be in that position, and something that I think that people should appreciate."
When people contrast Kobe Bryant remaining with the Lakers with LeBron leaving for another championship opportunity, is that comparison fair?
"They're completely different. The system by which the NBA moves now is different. The contracts are shorter in years now. Movement is different now. You can't really compare, although a player like Bron does have the ability to do and be wherever he wants to. But he can also choose to move around the way he sees fit, too. The cities that he's played in have been some really good cities, and he also got a chance to play in his hometown.
"Again, you can't really compare it to the journeys are different outcomes are different. Everything is different."
Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers majority owner Mark Walter and team executive Jeannie Buss in attendance at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
What was your reaction to the Lakers set to be sold again for the second time in 14 months?
"I woke up, my girl was telling me, 'The Lakers just sold for $12.5 billion or something.' I said, 'No, they just sold for $10 billion, and that was just like 10 months ago. You don't know what you're talking about.' So then, maybe 10 more minutes go by, and then as I look on social media, I see the Lakers being sold for $12.5 billion, and I'm like, 'Oh, so she didn't know what she was talking about.' I'm just like, 'How did that happen so fast?' And damn, they made $2.5 billion on top of the money that they spent, so damn, that was crazy.
"It's kind of unheard of for a team to be bought and sold so fast like that. So it kind of makes you wonder, why? Especially like a franchise like the Lakers, man.
"Dr. Buss had it for so long, and the Buss family had it for so long. So just to see the turnover like that, it's kind of like, it's like dang, what's going on?"
Did you have a relationship with Dr. Jerry Buss?
"Where my high school was, Dr. Buss' house wasn't too far from there. You would see him around, and obviously, I went to Westchester High School, so when I was in high school, our high school program was pretty prestigious, and we would see him around, talk to him, say hi, he's a star, so you would be like, that's somebody you want to meet, talk to.
"What was really cool about it is once I got traded to the Lakers, he would come around, we would have conversations. We would talk, and he would be really, really cool, dude. Very, very fun to be around."
Apr 10, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza (1) guards Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) during the first quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kobe once described the two of you as "inseparable." How did you earn his trust so quickly?
"It was more so just showing who I am, and it's not like a loud person is more so, I'm gonna do my job, I'm coming. I'm gonna get my work in, and I'm a super competitor as well. I'm gonna compete against everybody.
"When you have like-minded people that are after the same goal, you kind of mesh well with people, and some people you don't. He and I were just people who got along really well. Plus, he was a lot older than I was at the time. Coming in as a younger player, he saw something that probably resembled him in ways, and he wanted to make sure that I was able to reach my full potential as well.
"I appreciate the time that he took me under his wing. We ended up becoming inseparable on the court and off the court. We just did everything together.
"We competed with everything, even inside the game. For example, when we were inside the game, we would always go into the game seeing who would have the most steals while we're trying to win the game, we're competing against each other still trying to see who's gonna have to pay for dinner that night."
What was that competitiveness like in practices and games?
"It was just the same intensity, and the part that was so cool about it is we had a really, really, really good group. Guys who wanted to compete, we had not only five starters, we had a whole bench mob of starters as well. Players who could have gone to any team in that league and started on any other team.
"Our goal was to win a ring. So we pushed each other every day in practice, not just Bean but Lamar [ Odom ], Pau [Gasol], Jordan [ Farmar ], Luke [Walton] and everybody who had put that jersey on during that time understood that we all played a role and everybody's role was important."
Do you have any regrets about how your first Lakers stint ended after the 2009 championship?
"This is what I would say about that. If I had control over things the way that I wanted to and would have liked it to be, I think my career would have been a lot different. I would have been a Laker for a lot longer, but sometimes things don't work out the way you wanted.
"The time I spent there was amazing. We're still talking about it today in 2026. Sometimes the small doses that you get last a lifetime, and I'm just happy that I was able to share those moments with those guys and we're lifelong brothers now."
What's the hardest test that Kobe ever put you through, and what did it teach you?
"One time, we had a training camp. Maybe it was the year that we lost Boston [ Celtics ], and we came back the next year, and we're in training camp. The way we lost, everybody was pretty upset about it, losing to Boston in six, right?
"The first day of camp, Bean is trying to set the tone, so that PJ (Phil Jackson) used to break us up like bigs and smalls, and we'll do like our drills, so B-Shaw (Brian Shaw) was running the first drill that we had, and it was like a one-on-one drill. So all the guards and wings were on the same side. My first matchup was Kobe.
"The first thing he does is try to clear out space, and I get caught (by an elbow), and I don't flinch. I don't make a move. I don't do anything. I just kept playing. Somehow, I may have stopped him, or maybe I didn't. But once I got the ball, I just ran off like maybe four or five straight.
"From that point on, he was talking [expletive]. Everybody's talking [expletive]. We both talking [expletive] to each other, but it literally set the tone for us to compete against each other.
"It was just competitiveness on the court. Once he saw that, and everybody else saw it as well, it was out of character for me. I'm not really a [expletive] talker, so me talking back while we were playing was something that everybody was kind of surprised by, and from that point on, it was just something that we never really talked about, but it helped our chemistry grow as a whole team."
Was that physicality simply how Kobe established the tone?
"That's just the way he operated, especially when it's time to scrimmage and go through the triangle, and in places where he would get the ball. He took that [expletive] super seriously because this was his masterpiece, this is what his creation was about on the basketball court.
"Every single detail about the game he took seriously, whether it was his pregame meal, his routine to prepare for the game, or being on the court and competing against guys.
"He would always look at guys' shoes, and if they tried to guard him or talk [expletive] to him in any way, he would be like, 'Dude, you can't talk [expletive] to me and you're wearing those. Come on.'
"He would find different ways to get in people's heads and establish dominance, just to let everybody know he was the alpha. Going out on the court with somebody like that gives you the ultimate confidence."
How did that competitive approach help during the grind of an 82-game NBA season?
"When you compete at a high level, there are just things that you do. We were together every single day. We're together more than we are with our families. You're gonna find different ways to try to motivate yourself.
"It's like trying to play game 63 of an 82-game season in Milwaukee when it's cold and rainy. It's hard to get up for those types of games, right? Like you want to go home. It's rainy, and it's cold, and no disrespect, but you're in Milwaukee," Ariza said with a laugh. "I'm trying to find new ways to get you the juices flowing to get the competitive spirit going. That was something that he was really good at."
Which lesson from Kobe's leadership would help Luka most, and is there anything about Kobe's approach that wouldn't translate to Luka's personality?
"Luka is more of a loose guy from afar. It looks like, for him to play and be as creative as he is, he just has to be a little bit loose.
"Kobe was extremely detailed, extremely buttoned up, just very, very buttoned up, man. He smiled, but he wasn't really trying to smile like that. Luka smiles all the time, and I feel like the way they paid attention to the defensive end or something different than what Luka does."
Mar 27, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Trevor Ariza (1) laughs during warm ups before their game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
Your family is from Turks and Caicos, and you have described giving back as a duty. When did you first envision an event on this scale?
"It's something that I always wanted to do. It's just that when I was playing, it was so hard to dedicate much time to it because I was always trying to work on my game and get better, and then I started having kids. When you're competing, there's not really much of an offseason.
"The most time that I did have was maybe like a week or a weekend to give, it just wouldn't move the needle at all.
"Now I'm going to be able to get down there and stay in constant contact with the people, the Sports Commission and the athletes. It has more of an effect now than it did when I was younger."
The event raised $50,000 for the Athlete Development Fund. What opportunities can that funding create for young athletes?
"It would carve out specialists who, here in America, may have advantages. It can give them strength and training. It can get them the nutritionists. Just more resources to help get those players better, up to speed with what the rest of the world is doing."
The event also provided a free clinic for 150 young athletes and left more than 100 pieces of equipment on the islands. Why was creating a lasting resource more important than simply hosting a one-day clinic?
"When you are from a place, you take pride in it. For me, being able to give it back to my family and to a place where I do come from, it is just important because that's where your roots are.
"Since I've been the first person to make it to a North American sports league, I'm sure somebody else will be able to when they have the right understanding, and somebody brings back the right path for them.
"More athletes can be introduced to the world and have the opportunity to live out their dreams to make it to the NBA, NFL, NHL or anywhere else."
As the first Turks and Caicos Islander to reach one of North America's four major professional sports leagues, what obstacles did you face that you hope to remove for the next generation?
"Not being able to be around your family and grow up with your family. A lot of us come to the States and lay a foundation in the States. You don't have the comfort of being with your family. You have to go out and search for your dreams without being able to hang out with your cousins when you're done or go to your grandma's house, things that kids in America get the opportunity to do.
"It takes you out of your comfort zone and puts you in something like survival mode. When you move away from the nest at an early age, you have to grow up a lot faster. Again, you're outside of a zone that would be comfortable for you."
How have the standards Kobe taught you influenced the example you set for young athletes?
"It's not even just in Turks and Caicos, it's just period, man. There's no substitute for hard work, and there's no way you can cheat that process if you want to be a great player. If you want to give yourself a chance to compete at a high level, you've got to do the work, man.
"The work is something that you're either you gonna do it or you're not and if you don't do it, it's gonna show that you're not doing it. If you're not gonna do it, somebody else always will, so that is kind of the motto and the mindset I try to to lead with when I'm talking to youth and when I'm talking to my own children as well."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/lakers/onsi as Exclusive: Trevor Ariza on Luka's Lakers, LeBron's legacy, Kobe and Turks and Caicos .
