By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a testament to a changing of the guard, members of the Los Angeles Lakers will head to Slovenia later this month for a player-led, four-day minicamp organized by cornerstone superstar Luka Doncic. The offseason retreat represents a critical opportunity for a heavily overhauled roster to establish chemistry and camaraderie well ahead of the official start of training camp for the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season.
Now fully centered around the backcourt pairing of the Slovenian superstar and Austin Reaves following LeBron James’ departure, the franchise features a wave of new faces including Sandro Mamukelashvili, Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Ziaire Williams, and Matisse Thybulle.
The trip will feature a mix of team workouts, sightseeing in Ljubljana, and team-bonding exercises, but it is the scheduled golf outings that have sparked a lighthearted rivalry between the team’s two leaders. Reaves, who has been in Hong Kong on his annual China tour with signature sneaker partner Rigorer, didn’t hesitate to engage in some friendly trash-talk when asked about the upcoming trip.
“I’m gonna kick his ass in golf,” he joked during a media session on Saturday. “That’ll be a lot of fun. But it’ll just be good to get around everybody. We got a fairly new team, a lot of new guys, so it’ll just be good to be around them, get to know one another off the court and just build that chemistry there.”
While Doncic has become addicted to golf thanks to Reaves and James, he only picked up the sport in March, giving Reaves a distinct advantage on the links. Reaves claims he has beaten Doncic in every sport they have played, except for basketball. However, that is what matters most for the upcoming campaign, where Doncic and Reaves will lead a championship bid for the storied franchise.
Make 
Your Preferred Basketball Source.
Add Eurohoops to Google