Los Angeles Lakers First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Luka Doncic scored the Lakers’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 20 times in 64 starts, or 31% of the games they started. LeBron James was next with 18. The Lakers made the game’s first field goal in 59% of their 92 games and won 68% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Lakers in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any LAL player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for LAL | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Doncic | 64 | 20 | 31% | 11 | 17% |
| LeBron James | 70 | 18 | 26% | 11 | 16% |
| Deandre Ayton | 82 | 14 | 17% | 10 | 12% |
| Rui Hachimura | 51 | 12 | 24% | 6 | 12% |
| Austin Reaves | 50 | 11 | 22% | 7 | 14% |
| Marcus Smart | 64 | 7 | 11% | 4 | 6% |
| Jake LaRavia | 43 | 4 | 9% | 3 | 7% |
| Jaxson Hayes | 9 | 2 | 22% | 1 | 11% |
| Luke Kennard | 11 | 1 | 9% | 1 | 9% |
| Gabe Vincent | 7 | 1 | 14% | 0 | 0% |
| Maxi Kleber | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0% |
| Drew Timme | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Lakers scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 92 | 54 | 59% |
| Home | 46 | 27 | 59% |
| Away | 46 | 27 | 59% |
| Regular season | 82 | 47 | 57% |
| Playoffs | 10 | 7 | 70% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deandre Ayton | 81 | 56 | 69% |
| Jaxson Hayes | 9 | 5 | 56% |
| Maxi Kleber | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Team | 91 | 62 | 68% |
How the Lakers’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 31 | 34% |
| 3-pointer | 29 | 32% |
| Layup | 20 | 22% |
| Dunk | 12 | 13% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for LAL | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Reaves | 78 | 19 | 24% | 10 | 13% |
| Jaxson Hayes | 39 | 14 | 36% | 7 | 18% |
| Rui Hachimura | 62 | 13 | 21% | 8 | 13% |
| LeBron James | 75 | 12 | 16% | 7 | 9% |
| Anthony Davis | 42 | 10 | 24% | 7 | 17% |
| Luka Doncic | 33 | 6 | 18% | 2 | 6% |
| Dorian Finney-Smith | 21 | 3 | 14% | 3 | 14% |
| Jordan Goodwin | 5 | 2 | 40% | 1 | 20% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Lakers?
Luka Doncic, with 20 of the Lakers’ first baskets in 2025-26 (31% of their 64 starts), ahead of LeBron James with 18.
How often do the Lakers score first?
The Lakers made the first field goal in 54 of 92 games in 2025-26 (59%): 59% at home and 59% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Lakers?
Deandre Ayton took 81 of the Lakers’ 91 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 69% of them.
Is Luka Doncic a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 31% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.