Luka Doncic’s minicamp couldn’t be higher timed.
Amid the chaos of the Lakers being bought twice in 10 months and the Buss household being embroiled in a battle over its remaining 17.8% stake within the crew, Doncic is gifting the gamers some noise-canceling headphones within the type of chemistry.
He chartered a flight for his teammates to return to Slovenia. They’re going to be taking part in basketball. {Golfing}. Going out to dinners.
They’re going to be steeling themselves in opposition to the drama that has lately mired the Lakers.
That is Doncic’s first necessary act because the official chief of the crew.
Sure, the Lakers turned Doncic’s crew as quickly as he was stunningly traded by the Mavericks to Los Angeles in February 2025. However regardless that it was clear that Doncic was their No. 1 precedence, a person by the title of LeBron James was on the squad. You recognize, arguably the best participant of all time.
Doncic was the current and the way forward for the group, however James was the face of the league. He’s going to be the solar on any squad he’s on. That’s what occurs once you’re a four-time champion, four-time MVP and the league’s all-time main scorer.
When James left this summer season in free company, all the pieces modified.
There’s no extra ambiguity. No fuzziness. No ifs, ands or buts.
The Lakers belong to Doncic. He will likely be celebrated for his or her successes. He will likely be blamed for his or her failures. And greater than something, it’s as much as him to maintain issues collectively when there are velocity bumps. And proper now, they’re Himalaya-sized.
Doncic has already begun placing his fingerprint on all elements of the group. He performed a serious function in serving to construct the Lakers’ new roster.
He wished to maintain taking part in alongside Austin Reaves, whom the Lakers signed to a four-year, $180 million deal, the richest contract for a participant who went undrafted.
He wished to be paired with middle Walker Kessler, whom the Lakers acquired from Utah on a four-year, $130 million sign-and-trade deal, together with giving up two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two first-round decide swaps (2028 and 2030).
The Lakers went all in on making an attempt to make Doncic blissful. They’ve zero tradable first-round draft picks via 2033. Now it’s his flip to pour his coronary heart and soul into the crew.
A minicamp is simply what the Lakers want now, and Doncic obtained very fortunate with the timing.
They’ve been going via whiplash-inducing modifications. They’re the discuss of the sports activities world. They’re a large number.
In the course of the minicamp, which started Thursday, Doncic will remind everybody of what issues.
One another.
The Lakers’ new possession isn’t going to play inside the 4 traces. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and enterprise capitalist Josh Kushner aren’t going to shoot game-winning jumpers with the clock expiring.
The large investigation into former Lakers proprietor Mark Walter’s monetary empire can’t block their photographs.
Whether or not the Buss household sells its share within the Lakers and Jeanie Buss stays governor isn’t going to influence their locker room chemistry.
The entire noise across the Lakers is absolutely simply noise, regardless that it’s seemingly deafening.
What issues is Doncic and Reaves harmoniously taking part in off each other like two completely tuned musical devices in a symphony.
What issues is Kessler studying their video games and blossoming into an All-Star.
What issues is Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Matisse Thybulle desirous to run via a wall for the crew’s three stars.
Doncic has introduced everybody collectively earlier than, comparable to organizing a Porsche Driving Expertise for the crew in October 2025. However this feels totally different.
He introduced everybody to his residence nation. He greeted his teammates at their lodge whereas holding one in every of his daughters. They’re seeing the true him.
The minicamp goes to remind the Lakers how unimportant the entire main earthquakes round them are as quickly as they take the court docket.
It’s the kind of factor that may quiet the chaos.
It’s the kind of factor that may pay dividends come April.
