While ownership chaos unfolds back home, the new look Lakers’ bonding trip is going rather well. The retooled Los Angeles Lakers are currently enjoying an unprecedented off-court retreat in Europe, courtesy of new captain Luka Doncic. But the trip hasn’t been completely without chaos.
Newly-acquired Jaden Hardy gave a glimpse of the hilarity during a scenic boat tour along the Ljubljanica River. That moment turned Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt into pure comedy for LakeShow.
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It happened during one leg of the four-day team minicamp, organized and hosted by Doncic in his native Slovenia. He chartered a private jet for 16 of his teammates to fly across the Atlantic to Ljubljana for basketball practices, sightseeing, golf, and dining.
Hardy, who was acquired in the Deandre Ayton trade in July, posted a clip to his Instagram Stories and tagged both Doncic and Vanderbilt for the chaos depicted.
In that video, the entire Lakers squad is riding a boat down the river, and dozens of fans run along the bank to catch a glimpse of their national superstar and his team.
Vando attempted to launch a t-shirt to a group of cheering fans standing on the riverbank. His throw lacked the necessary distance, causing the shirt to drop directly into the water.
The mishap prompted a daring fan – distinctly wearing a #77 jersey as pointed out by sharp-eyed commenters – to dive into the river to retrieve the floating shirt.
The fact that he did sent the rest of the Lakers roster on the boat into a spin. The NBA players erupted into wild laughter, cheered on the fan, Austin Reaves looked like he was in disbelief that the fan went that far, and Doncic is clutching his head at the madness.
Naturally, NBA fans on social media caught wind of Vando’s blunder, which made a fan literally take the plunge and hold nothing back in their commentary.
Lakers fans come after Jarred Vanderbilt’s airball shirt throw
Hardy’s video went viral among Lakers Nation’s online circles, leading fans to poke fun at Jarred Vanderbilt’s notorious lack of offensive range. One team-bonding river cruise turned into a viral roasting session over Vando’s miss.
Just like his lay ups smh 😂
Considering LakeShow has seen Vando’s shots come up short in NBA games, too, they were far less forgiving of the defensive specialist’s execution.
Many were in consensus that this t-shirt airball was, “Just like his lay ups smh 😂” while another fan cheekily chimed in with, “This is why Vando plays basketball 🤣”
Meanwhile, others couldn’t resist connecting the failed throw directly to Vanderbilt’s jump-shot mechanics and on-court decision-making. “Gotta work on those corner 3s my guy!”
Most are hoping that this mini-camp fixes Vando’s glaring flaw although some are already dreading his regular season chops, questioning, “How do you mess up the offense even on vacation lol.”
One lone optimist offered a lighthearted defense by commenting, “Might not be the perfect toss. But Vando does provide energy & hustle. Rebounding creates second chance opportunities. Just saying!”
With the Lakers undergoing significant roster turnover heading into the new season, and building chemistry under Doncic’s leadership, supporters are already bracing for a wild ride both on and off the court, saying, “Yea this season finna be funny.”
Despite the comical river incident, the Slovenia retreat marks a massive step forward in building camaraderie for the new-look Lakers.
While Vanderbilt’s throwing accuracy might need a bit of work before training camp begins, his teammates clearly enjoyed the show.