Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has yet to win an NBA championship, and former NBA player Channing Frye believes he never will if he doesn’t change. On the latest episode of Channing’s Mailbag, Frye was asked if Doncic will ever win a title with his style of play and high usage rate.
“I think Luka will win a championship,” Frye said. “I do not think that he will win with that style of play and high usage rate. He needs a team around him, sure, but he plays physical and is usually beat up by the time. Did he miss his one chance? No. I just think something’s going to come around where Luka got to come to grips with like, that’s not what is going to win.
“Luka’s greatness is not better than OKC or San Antonio or New York or Philly, no matter how great Luka is individually,” Frye continued. “So you got to build a team around him where he trusts and can get off the rock a little bit more.”
This is hardly an uncommon opinion, of course. Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen isn’t sure Doncic will even make it back to the NBA Finals with his playstyle. The Slovenian led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, where they lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.
Since then, Doncic and the Lakers have stunningly lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round in 2025. He was then out with a grade 2 left hamstring strain when the Oklahoma City Thunder swept them in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2026. It has been two rough years.
Doncic still has time on his hands to achieve ultimate glory, as he is 27 years old. He is in his prime, but Frye, who played alongside a certain LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, thinks the only way he gets to the top is if he realizes change is needed.
Doncic’s 36.0% usage rate led the NBA in the 2025-26 season. Mind you, the six-time All-Star was sharing the court with James and Austin Reaves last season and was still at the top.
You wonder whether Doncic can really change his ways at this point. He has gotten a bit more comfortable playing off the ball, but this is just who he is.
Considering he’s made the NBA Finals once and the Western Conference Finals in 2022, Doncic would also be backing himself to get over the line at some point. You’d like to think an exceptional talent like him will win a title, but there are a lot of great players that never lifted the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Channing Frye Isn’t A Believer In The Lakers
Frye mentioned here that the Lakers need to build a team around Doncic that he trusts. Well, they have overhauled their roster this offseason, but the 43-year-old doesn’t think it’s all that great.
Frye does not like the Lakers’ new roster and made it clear they cannot make a deep playoff run. He also has them down at eighth in his Western Conference rankings.
To say Frye isn’t a fan would be an understatement. Now, this Lakers roster might not be perfect, but it has Doncic. He averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2025-26.
As long as Doncic remains relatively healthy, the Lakers should finish as a top-six seed in the West and secure an automatic playoff berth. He is just that good. Doncic is unlikely to lead this Lakers squad to a title, though, and the longer that remains the case, the louder the chatter will be about him needing to change his style.
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