Luka Doncic had a hometown advantage when he brought his Los Angeles Lakers teammates to Slovenia, and he found a funny way to remind them.
In footage from the offseason minicamp, Doncic joked that his standing in the country should earn him a few more passes.
Luka Doncic training with the Lakers in Slovenia:
“You better pass to me because I run this fu**ing country.” 💀
(h/t @LADEig) pic.twitter.com/yv2GUPjBiq
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 25, 2026
“You better pass to me because I run this f—— country,” Doncic said.
The line was a joke, and the larger story is the effort Doncic put into bringing the group together. His full minicamp episode, released Friday on his YouTube channel, gives fans a look at that process.
The trip itself took place during the offseason.
Luka Doncic wanted the Lakers to get to know each other
Early in the episode, Doncic explains that a team with so many newcomers needed opportunities to build relationships. Basketball was part of the plan, but so were golf and exploring Slovenia.
The itinerary gave players different ways to compete. One basketball exercise prohibited dribbling.
Later, Austin Reaves and Doncic captained opposing rowing teams, with Reaves’ blue team finishing first and Doncic’s yellow team third.
Those scenes give the trip a more personal feel than a collection of workout highlights. The teammates were sharing experiences that had little to do with their eventual roles in the Lakers’ offense.
Doncic also reflects on leadership near the end of the video. Looking back at his second and third NBA seasons, he acknowledges that he had room to grow in that responsibility.
“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.”
Hosting brought its own uncertainty: He admits he was “nervous a little bit” before the gathering came together.
That admission adds something to the confident joke. Organizing the trip meant thinking about whether his teammates would enjoy themselves, too.
Kevon Looney previously explained the trip’s value
Earlier this month, Kevon Looney described how the visit helped him connect with his new teammates. He pointed to the chance to learn about players away from basketball before training camp.
“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 offers a useful companion to JJ Redick’s optimism about how the Lakers’ roster fits together. A coach can identify complementary skills before the season, while players still need time to become comfortable with one another.
A summer trip cannot establish how well that fit will hold up in games. But the new footage gives fans a closer look at how Doncic tried to get those relationships started — with some competition and a little hometown trash talk.
