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Team Luka: A look at the people that are part of Doncic's inner circle

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Team Luka: A look at the people that are part of Doncic's inner circle

When the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic more than a week ago, they did more than acquire a star player. The organization added a player that it anticipates being the face of the Lakers for years to come.

And that type of player, well, he doesn’t come alone.

When the Lakers signed LeBron James in 2018, agent Rich Paul, business manager Maverick Carter, trainer Mike Mancias and trusted confidante Randy Mims had important roles in and around the organization. And now that the Lakers have Doncic, a new support team is a part of the story.

“We’re going to partner with him and I should mention, too, his amazing team who is now part of our family led by Lara Beth [Seager] and Bill Duffy and the rest of the folks that are here today,” Rob Pelinka said in Doncic’s introductory news conference. “When we make decisions around superstar players, we partner and collaborate with them and that will be our process.”

So who are the key figures on Doncic’s team? Here’s a quick look:

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Lara Beth Seager, chief brand officer and business manager

Agent Bill Duffy and business manager Lara Beth Seager are part of new Lakers star Luka Doncic’s inner circle.

(Jerod Harris / Getty Images for WME)

Seager has worked with Doncic since 2020, managing his biggest endorsement deals with Jordan Brand, Gatorade and Panini. She’s the CEO of the Luka Doncic Foundation and 77X, his creative company. If it’s important to Doncic, Seager is involved.

Before working with Doncic, Seager worked with Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki to produce some of the biggest moments late in his career like his final home game, his jersey retirement and the planning and unveiling of his statue.

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Bill Duffy and Quique Villalobos, agents

A longtime NBA agent, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame included Duffy on its ballot for the Class of 2025 as a contributor to the game.

After starring at Santa Clara and being selected in the 1982 NBA draft by Denver, Duffy moved into representation and has a client list that’s included Hall of Famers Steve Nash and Yao Ming. He currently represents Anthony Edwards, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Scottie Barnes. His agency, BDA Sports Management, was acquired by WME (William Morris Endeavor) in 2023.

Duffy first met Doncic when he was playing at Real Madrid at 15 years old.

Villalobos, based in Madrid, works with Duffy as an international agent. He also played professionally for Real Madrid and the Spanish national basketball team.

Javier Barrio and Anze Macek, medical team

Doncic’s medical team — Barrio, a physiotherapist and podiatrist, and Macek, a strength and conditioning coach — joined him in 2023 just as the Mavericks reorganized their medical staff when removing trainer Casey Smith, who Hall of Fame journalist Marc Stein described as “one of Doncic’s closes allies” in the organization. Barrio worked with Doncic at Real Madrid and Macek worked with him on the Slovenian national basketball team.

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Sasa Doncic, father

Dallas guard Luka Doncic, right, is congratulated by his father, Sasa, after defeating Minnesota to advance to NBA Finals.

Dallas guard Luka Doncic, right, is congratulated by his father, Sasa, after defeating Minnesota to advance to NBA Finals.

(David Berding / Getty Images)

A former pro basketball player and coach, Sasa Doncic made some news in the wake of the trade when he criticized Dallas for how they handed the deal.

“I understand there comes a moment when you disagree with a certain philosophy — you don’t like this or that player, all good, get it,” he said in an interview translated by Arena Sport. “But I think that exactly this secrecy, or should I say from some individuals, maybe even hypocrisy, this hurts me personally. Because I think that Luka absolutely doesn’t deserve this.”

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PGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule

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PGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule

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The PGA Tour has announced that it will not be hosting an event in Hawaii during the 2027 season, ending a 56-year run of holding a tournament in The Aloha State. The change comes as the Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp have consistently teased a revamped schedule beginning next year.

The Tour was forced to cancel The Sentry at the start of the 2026 campaign due to the dying grass on the Plantation Course at Kapalua amid a local dispute with the company responsible for delivering water to the area. 

An aerial view of the golf course from over the ocean prior to The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on December 31, 2023 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)

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With The Sentry being canceled, the Sony Open at Waialae Country on Oahu served as the Tour’s season opener in ‘26, which was won by Chris Gotterup. The event was in the final year of its sponsorship, although the Tour has shared that it is working toward making the event the opening event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.

Chris Gotterup of the United States celebrates with the trophy on the 18th green after his winning round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 at Waialae Country Club on January 18, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

The Tour’s removal of The Sentry and the Sony Open wipes out what has now turned into a traditional two-week stretch on the island to begin a new season.

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The PGA Tour did not share further details about the 2027 schedule upon its announcement about leaving Hawaii, but with Sentry reportedly being an event title-sponsor through 2035, it will need to find a new landing spot on the calendar. The logical stop would be Torrey Pines in San Diego, which checks the West Coast and great weather boxes, but the venue is also looking for a new sponsor, as its deal with Farmers Insurance ended in 2026.

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View of the 18th hole is seen during the final round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 5, 2025 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

The Tour’s decision not to begin next season in Hawaii makes sense, as there are plenty of venues in the lower 48 states that are much easier to operate from, but the departure will have a tremendous financial impact on the state.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that The Sentry is estimated to have a $50 million annual impact on the community, while the Sony Open directly generates an estimated $100 million in revenue per year, plus another $1 million per year to Friends of Hawaii charities.

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Prep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard

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Prep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard

Martin Dugard is a prolific author and writer. He’s also an assistant cross-country coach at Santa Margarita after being head coach at JSerra for 15 years.

His newest book is “The Long Run,” which discusses the 1970s running boom and is a narrative history of four who sparked the marathon boom: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Grete Waitz.

He’s going to have a book signing on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 26751 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo.

Don’t be surprised if he tries to run from Rancho Santa Margarita to his book signing.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

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Stephen A. Smith makes brutal gaffe while talking about the Golden State Warriors

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Stephen A. Smith makes brutal gaffe while talking about the Golden State Warriors

For years, Stephen A. Smith’s many football blunders have been easy enough to explain away.

He’s not an NFL guy (remember when he said the three key players for a game were three guys who weren’t playing in the game?)

Stephen A. Smith falsely claimed the Warriors haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, but Golden State reached the second round in both 2023 and 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)

He’s definitely not a college football guy (remember when he called Jalen Milroe Jalen “Milroy” multiple times and then read the wrong stat line after a College Football Playoff game?).

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ESPN forces him into those conversations because First Take has to talk football, and Smith knows that football is the most popular sport in the country and he needs to be seen as an authority (even though he isn’t).

But Monday’s latest mistake is a lot tougher to excuse, because this time Smith wasn’t talking about the NFL or college football. He was talking about the Golden State Warriors, one of the defining NBA dynasties of the last decade.

In other words, he was talking about the sport and the league that’s supposed to be his bread and butter.

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While discussing whether Steve Kerr has coached his last game with Golden State, Smith confidently stated the Warriors “haven’t been back to the playoffs since that championship in 2022.”

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on during a game against the Sacramento Kings. (Robert Edwards/Imagn Images)

That’s not even close to true. Not only did Golden State make the playoffs last season, but they also reached the postseason in 2023. Last year, the Warriors made the playoffs, beat the Rockets in seven games and advanced to the second round before losing to the Timberwolves. In 2023, they beat the Sacramento Kings in the first round and before losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

So, Smith wouldn’t even have been right if he said they haven’t won a playoff series since 2022. But he didn’t say that. He said they didn’t make the playoffs in any of the past four years, except they did it twice.

Yikes.

This is not an obscure piece of NBA trivia that Smith could be easily forgiven for not knowing. Perhaps he was too busy playing solitaire on his phone and just missed two of the past three NBA postseasons. That’s a tough look for the guy who fancies himself as the No. 1 NBA analyst in the country.

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And it’s a terrible look for ESPN, as they keep selling Smith as one of the faces of their NBA coverage.

Stephen A. Smith made a brutal gaffe while talking Warriors playoff history

If Smith made this kind of mistake while talking about the NFL, nobody would be shocked. At this point, sports fans practically expect him to butcher football analysis. It’s almost endearing that a guy with the ego of Smith can be so consistently wrong while also delivering every “fact” with the utmost confidence. It’s part of the Stephen A. experience.

But this one hits differently because the NBA is where he’s supposed to at least know the basics. This is where Smith prides himself as being an authority figure.

Stephen A. Smith incorrectly stated the Golden State Warriors haven’t made the playoffs since their 2022 championship, despite the team reaching the postseason twice since then. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)

And yet he couldn’t keep the recent playoff history of the Warriors straight. The team whose head coach is in the news every other week. The team that has won four championships since 2014. Arguably one of the most important franchises in the NBA over the past 15 years.

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Yes, Golden State missed the playoffs in 2024 after getting bounced in the Play-In Tournament (although they won 46 games that season). And yes, it fell short again this season. But that’s a lot different from acting like Steve Kerr has spent four years wandering the basketball wilderness since winning that 2022 title.

He hasn’t. In fact, the team is 175-153 in the past four regular seasons.

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The Warriors made the second round in 2023. They made the second round again in 2025.

Before burying Steve Kerr on national television, maybe Stephen A. Smith could take 10 seconds to confirm whether the Warriors were actually, you know, in the playoffs.

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