Luka Dončić named Player of the Month for the first time as a Laker

For the first time in his Lakers tenure, Luka Dončić has been named the NBA's Player of the Month, earning the nod for the Western Conference in Jan.

Dončić continues to push a stellar All-NBA run in his second season in Los Angeles, leading the NBA in scoring at 33.6 points in 40 games this season. With that, the Slovenian was voted and named an NBA All-Star starter — another first feat in L.A.

The Lakers went 9-7 in 16 games in Jan behind Dončić, who averaged 34 points, 7.2 rebounds and 9.1 assists in the month while shooting 39.2% from 3 and 50.6% from the field. 

Dončić played in 15 of those games, delivering two 40-point games, 11 30-point games and notching three 30-point triple-doubles.

The 26-year-old has five triple-doubles on the season, notching 30 points in four of those contests that made him just the third player in franchise history to do so, joining LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

This is the sixth time in Dončić's eight-year career he has earned a monthly award honor.

The Lakers are currently sixth in the West with a 29-19 record as Dončić continues to keep L.A. afloat, alongside LeBron James, without Austin Reaves in the starting unit, who has been out since Christmas Day.