Dennis Schroder’s nerves were tested when facing his former team, the Lakers, specifically against his European rival, Luka Doncic, upon the Kings’ visit to Los Angeles tonight.
During the third quarter of the game, when Nique Clifford was on the free-throw line, Schroder was having a back-and-forth with Luka Doncic on the lines of the painted area.
“I’m going to beat the sh** out of you,” Schroder seemingly said as a fan recorded a video of the incident and posted it on social media. The Lakers guard just mocked him in response with a hand gesture to keep talking.
“I’m gonna beat the sh*t out of you”
Dennis Schroder to Luka 😳 pic.twitter.com/kBeOLQ1McG
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) December 29, 2025
Later in the game, Schroder also seemed to have gotten into an exchange with Doncic on the bench with Schroder’s former teammate, Austin Reaves, who was sitting on the sidelines. Reaves and Doncic were recorded laughing as they seemed to make fun of Schroder, who was wagging his finger while walking away.
Luka and AR laughing at former Laker Dennis Schroder 👀 https://t.co/tIslhUBhl3 pic.twitter.com/yB3k37vVjn
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) December 29, 2025
Seeing a former Lakers player be unhappy with the franchise is not new. However, there is more context to this duo than just a shared franchise. Their rivalry stems apparently from their most recent matchup at EuroBasket, where Germany beat Slovenia 99-91 during the quarter-finals.
Even during the preseason matchup between the Lakers and the Kings, Schroder went at Doncic with his trash-talk as the Kings stole a 117-116 win back then. However, Doncic got the last laugh this time as the Lakers blew out the Kings 125-101.
Doncic dominates their all-time NBA regular season head-to-head record 10-5, and they have never faced off in the NBA playoffs.
The Lakers’ superstar stuffed their box score tonight in this game as he ended up with 34 points, five rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one block while shooting 11-of-23 from the field (47.8%) and 5-of-14 from beyond the arc (35.7%).
Meanwhile, Schroder played only limited minutes and finished with 11 points, two rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 3-of-6 (50.0%) from the field.
The Lakers have improved to 20-10 for the season after this win tonight and will face the Pistons in their next game on Tuesday night (December 30). Meanwhile, the Kings fell to 8-24 and will face the Clippers in their next game on Tuesday as well.
