Luka Doncic, LeBron James headline Lakers Girl Dad Night

On a night established to celebrate fathers and daughters, it was only fitting that two Lakers stars stole the show.

A sellout crowd of nearly 19,000 fans all received hats as the Lakers hosted their third annual “Girl Dad Night,” a celebration of girls in sports and the fathers who champion them. 

Luka Doncic, father to 2-year-old Gabriela and newborn Olivia, produced the finest scoring performance of his young Lakers tenure, exploding for 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the Lakers’ 142-130 victory over the Bulls. 

LeBron James, who returned to the lineup after missing the last three games, quietly stitched together another vintage all-around performance — 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. A little over a week after bringing his daughter, Zhuri, with him on the road to San Francisco, James spent Thursday reflecting on fatherhood and the responsibility that comes with raising a daughter in a world constantly watching.

“The way I treat her mother. The love that I have inside the family. The accountability,” James said when asked what the most important lesson he taught his daughter is. “One of the best compliments Savannah and I get is when people say our kids are well-mannered and great kids. That’s the greatest compliment we can get.”

James smiled when asked about the title that filled the arena.

“I love girl dads. It’s pretty cool, and I’m happy to be one,” he said, admitting his daughter “definitely softened me up a lot.”

The Lakers launched Girl Dad Night in March 2024 during Women’s History Month as a tribute to Kobe Bryant and former owner Jerry Buss, two of the most famous girl dads in franchise history. Bryant’s love for his daughters — and especially for Gianna’s basketball dreams — helped reshape how sports culture celebrates girls and the fathers who lift them up.

Thursday’s game felt like an extension of that legacy.

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Fathers and daughters were spotlighted throughout the night. In-game host Ray A. Castillo shared the spotlight with his daughters, Alexis and Hayley. The national anthem was performed by father-daughter duo Matt and Savanna, and the Laker Girls even danced at halftime alongside their dads.

Weeks earlier, the Lakers welcomed father-daughter pairs from local nonprofit organizations to their training facility for a basketball clinic and empowerment workshop — surprising them with tickets to Thursday’s game.

Below are many of the photos of the Lakers girl dads.