A new era is underway for the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the offseason departure of LeBron James, then a flurry of other notable moves to fill out J.J. Redick’s roster, Luka Doncic has officially been handed the keys to the franchise — and it’s returned strong early results, winning 10 of 12 games to open the 2026-27 season.
As Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler have led the new-look Lakers, fans have even come up with a satirical nickname for the team.
Here’s why the Doncic-led Lakers have been nicknamed the “Snowtime Lakers.”
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Snowtime Lakers nickname, explained
Many NBA fans are aware of the nickname for the 1980s Lakers, who won five championships that decade behind Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. Those “Showtime Lakers” were known for their up-tempo style and highlight-filled fast breaks en route to a dynasty.
The “Snowtime Lakers,” of course, is a play on that “Showtime” name. During the 2026 offseason, the Lakers surrounded their two co-stars — Doncic and Reaves — with a number of new faces, including a lengthy center in Kessler and versatile wings like Sandro Mamukelashvili.
As the Lakers made those moves for Kessler, Mamukelashvili and more, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons was among the first to use the “Snowtime Lakers” moniker in July to poke fun at how many white players are on the team — and it’s only caught on since then.
The Snowtime Lakers 😭😭😭 https://t.co/hXR5QG42gY
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) July 1, 2026
Before the season began, at Lakers media day, Redick even joked that beyond Doncic, Reaves and Kessler, “the other two [starting] spots will not be two white guys.”
JJ Redick on the Lakers’ starting lineup: “I’m pretty confident in three of the spots. The other two spots will not be two white guys.” https://t.co/NL7yKyV4XB
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) September 24, 2026
During an episode of “Inside the NBA” in October — with Los Angeles grabbing an opening-night win over Golden State — even Shaquille O’Neal said he “loved that name.”
Shaq giving Walker Kessler his flowers: “The way you played tonight you played like the best big man in the league. I’m happy for you, I’m proud of you. Welcome to the big man alliance. I love you brother. And I want you to guys to love the name Snowtime (Lakers)” https://t.co/Qkis8iQKcc
— Oh No He Didn’t 🤯 (@ohnohedidnt24) October 22, 2026
With the way the Lakers have opened the 2026-27 season, it’s likely not a nickname going away anytime soon, especially considering Doncic, Reaves and Kessler are all under contract through at least the 2027-28 season.
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