As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare for the 2026–27 NBA season following a major roster overhaul, the new cornerstone, Luka Doncic, took team bonding to a whole new level. And now, it’s not just by hosting his teammates in his home country of Slovenia for an offseason minicamp. The intensity of being in the new-look Lakers became immediately clear when Collin Sexton got a purple-and-gold… and red welcome.

Doncic shared a behind-the-scenes vlog from the trip on his YouTube channel, detailing the vision behind flying his teammates across the globe to build chemistry.

“I mean, obviously to see Slovenia first,” Doncic explained at the start of the vlog when asked about the purpose of the trip. “Obviously, we spend so much time together in the season and with so many new guys, to get to know each other and see what everybody likes. And then just play basketball, play some golf, visit around Slovenia. It should be nice.”

But instead of the Slovenian sights, a different scene caught everyone’s attention. The new 6′3″ guard Collin Sexton was welcomed to the squad with a bloody mouth courtesy of a loose elbow from Doncic during a scrimmage.

The minicamp kicked off with a very competitive team workout that transitioned from a warmup game with a yoga ball to full-court basketball. During the scrimmage, Doncic inadvertently elbowed Sexton in the mouth.

Despite bleeding from the strike, Sexton refused to sit out or leave the court. That drew immediate respect from his new team leader as Doncic dapped up the tenacious guard. There were no hard feelings from that blow, and that moment seemed to bring them closer.

The competitive yet respectful moment between the two guard partners served as a full-circle callback to their viral 2021 NBA incident. They were opponents during a May 2021 matchup between Dallas and Cleveland.

Doncic was hit with a Flagrant 2 foul and ejected after delivering an aggressive hit to Sexton’s groin area while boxing out for a rebound.

Following that 2021 ejection, Doncic insisted the blow “wasn’t nothing on purpose” and was just “two guys fighting for a rebound,” while Sexton famously backed him up, stating, “It was just a boxout play… it’s all good.”

Years later in Ljubljana, Sexton’s toughness once again earned the respect of his superstar teammate.

Beyond the hard-nosed basketball sessions, the vlog revealed that the Slovenian minicamp featured plenty of sightseeing, friendly rivalries, and team-building exercises. The Lakers visited iconic landmarks, including the Ljubljana Castle, enjoyed a river cruise where fans lined the banks to meet the players, and traveled to Lake Bled.

While at Lake Bled, the team met Slovenian Olympic rower Janez Klemencic for a kayak race. Despite Doncic admitting he fell into the water a couple of times, team bonding remained high as a squad led by Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia won the rowing competition, while Austin Reaves took second, and Doncic’s crew placed third.

The competitive spirit carried over to the golf course and to a local bike ride through Doncic’s hometown, with Dalton Knecht taking home bragging rights.

The minicamp deeply resonated with the front office and coaching staff as well. Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka revealed that the players wrote handwritten thank-you notes to Doncic, noting that Sexton was visibly awestruck by the gesture.

“I think at one point Collin Sexton stood up and was like, ‘Look at where we are,'” Pelinka said. “There are a lot of people that never get to come overseas and experience [this]. This is amazing, and someone’s treating us to it.'”

JJ Redick called it, “a great team-building exercise,” and praised Doncic for bringing the retooled team together.

For Doncic, who led the NBA with 33.5 points per game last season, the trip represented a conscious step forward in his personal evolution as an organizational leader.

“I think basketball-wise, just trying to improve every day and trying to be a leader,” Doncic reflected at the end of the vlog. “Five years ago, I was in my second or third year in the league, and I wasn’t the leader I was supposed to be. So I think the leadership is an important part for me now.”