Luka Doncic turned the Lakers’ Slovenia minicamp into a mix of bonding, competition and a little hometown swagger.
In new footage from the offseason trip, Doncic can be heard throwing out a joke that fit the setting perfectly. With his teammates in his home country, he made it clear he felt right at home.
“You better pass to me because I run this f-- country,” Doncic said.
The comment was playful, but it also came out of a bigger effort on Doncic’s part to bring the group closer together. His full minicamp episode, released Friday on his YouTube channel, shows how he tried to use the trip for more than just workouts.
The Lakers spent the offseason gathering in Slovenia, and Doncic wanted the time to serve as a real team-building stretch. Basketball was part of it, but so were golf and time spent exploring the country.
The activities were designed to create different kinds of competition. One basketball drill even took dribbling out of the equation entirely.
The trip also included a rowing competition, with Austin Reaves and Doncic leading separate teams. Reaves’ blue team finished first, while Doncic’s yellow team came in third.
Those moments give the minicamp a different feel than a standard offseason workout video. The players were spending time together in settings that had nothing to do with set plays or offensive roles.
Doncic also opened up about leadership toward the end of the video. Looking back at his second and third NBA seasons, he said he still had work to do in that area.
“I think basketball-wise, you’re just trying to improve very day and trying to be a leader,” said Doncic. “Five years ago, I was my third year in the league, I wasn’t the leader I was supposed to. So, I think the leadership is important part in my case now.”
He also admitted he was “nervous a little bit” before hosting the group.
That part matters just as much as the joke. Bringing teammates into your world means hoping they enjoy themselves, and Doncic seemed aware of that responsibility.
Kevon Looney had already spoken earlier this month about how valuable the Slovenia trip was for him and the rest of the group. He said it gave him a chance to get to know teammates in a way that doesn’t happen once the season starts.
“Yeah, we was on a boat,” Looney said. “I’m not a big boat guy, but so we rode on a boat and everybody followed us from every stop.
They got some diehard Lakers fans out there, and it was amazing to see. Usually you don’t get to see guys until training camp really starts and so it’s a feeling out process trying to learn guys, learn guys’ personalities.
“So, we were able to come together in the summertime and really bond, especially when you going on an 11.5 hour flight, you really get to know each other. You get to see guys outside of the basketball court, how they act, how they move around and chemistry is big in our sport and the best teams that win usually have great chemistry. So, it was a great building block for us.”
That lines up with JJ Redick’s optimism about how the roster fits together. Coaches can see how pieces might work on paper, but the players still need time to settle into one another.
The Slovenia trip won’t answer every question about the Lakers. But the new footage does show Doncic trying to get the chemistry moving early, with competition, shared experiences and a joke that made the whole thing sound a lot more like a real team.
In Other News...
Lakers Just Sent A Clear Message About Cameron Carr's Role
Rob Pelinka and JJ Redick made it clear this week that Cameron Carr is not just another young name in the pipeline. In a press conference, the Lakers front office and coach spoke about the rookies development, pointing to the impression he has already made in team activities and the way the organization is approaching his growth. For a roster that is trying to balance immediate expectations with long-term depth, those kinds of comments carry real weight.
Redick said Carr is a priority for development, and that matters because the path to playing time in Los Angeles is rarely straightforward for a rookie. The Lakers are also seeing progress from other young players such as Adou Thiero as they work to add flexibility for the season ahead, but Carrs standing in that group suggests the team sees a defined role taking shape if he keeps earning trust behind the scenes. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Roster Crunch Could Force A Tough Call Before Opening Night
The Lakers are still in evaluation mode as training camp opens, but the roster math already has a deadline attached to it. Rob Pelinka said the front office plans to use camp to sort through the group of 16 guaranteed contracts and decide how best to get down to the regular-season limit, with consolidation trades among the options on the table. It is the sort of early-fall roster squeeze that can shape more than the final spot count, because it also reveals how the team views fit, depth and which pieces are most useful around the core.
JJ Redick added another layer to the picture by discussing likely starters and the plan to widen the rotation, which makes those roster decisions even more important. In a camp built around competition, the Lakers are trying to balance immediate readiness with long-term flexibility, and Pelinka made it clear that a two-for-one trade is one possible path if the right deal surfaces. For now, the focus is on seeing how the roster fits together before opening night forces a final answer. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Made A Huge Walker Kessler Bet With One Big Risk
The Lakers have made a major move to shore up their frontcourt, completing a sign-and-trade deal for Walker Kessler on a $129.5 million contract. It is the kind of swing that signals real intent, with the team clearly valuing his defensive presence and the way he can complement the star talent already in place.
Rob Pelinka said the Lakers did their homework on Kesslers medical situation and are confident his shoulder injury is fully healed, which is a big part of why they were comfortable moving forward. Even so, as with any investment of this size, the real question for Los Angeles is whether the defensive upgrade they believe they are getting can hold up once the season starts and the games get physical. [Read more 🡒]