NBA superstar Luka Doncic is the present and future of the Los Angeles Lakers, as that’s been made clear by the franchise since he arrived on the roster in February of 2025.
Doncic recently hosted his Lakers teammates for a minicamp in his home country of Slovenia over the 2026 NBA offseason, an event that, by all accounts, went well for everyone involved.
However, as the Lakers prepare for media day and training camp with questions remaining about who will fill the starting lineup and who will be the final roster cut, a somewhat shocking quote from Doncic emerged from his time hosting his teammates in Slovenia.
Luka Doncic Has Strong Words For Lakers Teammates During Slovenia Minicamp
In a post recently shared on social media, Doncic was seen during the training camp he hosted, sending a strong message to his teammates.
“You better pass to me because I run this (expletive) country,” the Lakers star said.
By all accounts, and as seen in the video, Doncic appeared to be joking. Despite his dominance on the court, the Slovenian has shown the comedic side of his personality throughout his career, and his expletive quote appears to be no different.
“You better pass to me because I run this fu**ing country.” 💀
(h/t @LADEig)
That feels even more true after what his Lakers teammates said about the bonding that occurred while everyone was in Slovenia.
“So it just shows his character, showing that he really wants to win. He wants people to know his background, why he is, how he is. And I think we did a good job of that,” Kevon Looney said. “He’s a great player and a great leader, and he likes to show what he can do on the court. And we got to see his personality off the court. So it was great. We’re gonna follow him.”
Doncic reportedly paid for his teammates’ flights and all expenses during the Lakers minicamp in Slovenia, and though his quote might look strong on paper, it was clearly the star showing his personality.
LA Building Around Its Star
In the first full season with Doncic leading the charge, the Lakers made big changes this summer to bring in players that fit well with him.
During a recent press conference, general manager Rob Pelinka made it clear he consulted with Doncic about the franchise’s offseason roster moves, wanting to clear it with the star before making any big decisions.
“Rob Pelinka asked how he has collaborated with Luka Doncic on his roster-building decisions made it clear that the buck stops with him, but ‘Luka is the best offensive player in the world … It’s special to have him in the building,'” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote in a post on X during the Lakers press conference.
“Rob Pelinka said that one anecdote that really struck him from the player minicamp that Luka Doncic hosted in Slovenia was all of the players taking the time to present Doncic with hand-written thank you notes for the time and resources he committed to make it happen,” McMenamin wrote in a separate post.
The Lakers are reportedly still in the market to make a trade for a new starting power forward as they fully enter the Doncic era, but nothing has happened yet. They’ve been linked to a few of his former Dallas Mavericks teammates and could make one final move before the 2026-27 season begins.
Doncic is the leading man in Los Angeles, and despite his joking comments made during the Slovenia minicamp, everyone in the organization appears on board with the star and doing what’s best for him to lead them to championship success.
Luka Doncic Calls Out Lakers Teammates In Viral Quote From Slovenia Minicamp