Luka Doncic has never been shy about leaning into his sense of humor, but his latest round of jokes might be his most chaotic yet. In a recent video from Nice Kicks, Luka Doncic managed to roast both Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves in a way that captures the vibe around the Los Angeles Lakers.
The first target was Rui. When asked why he banned his Lakers teammate from visiting his home country of Slovenia, Doncic did not even attempt to soften the blow.
“I don’t like him.”
Rui, of course, has been giving it right back for weeks, including that now-viral moment where he roasted Luka for ‘never going to school’ after Doncic called his name during practice.
Then came Reaves. When Luka was asked why he told Reaves he was not his friend, his response was somehow even funnier.
“Yeah, so so.”
Luka Dončić says he doesn’t like Rui Hachimura and is so so with Austin Reaves 😯 (jokingly 😂)
IG/nicekicks pic.twitter.com/F42m2kaWR8
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) December 24, 2025
None of it felt mean-spirited. If anything, it highlighted just how comfortable this group has become. Teams that are tense in the locker room don’t have fun like this in public. Superstars from fragile teams don’t roast their two core rotation players for fun.
This Lakers group looks relaxed, connected, and at ease with each other, and Doncic’s humor has been a big part of that.
The timing matters too. This is not happening when the Lakers are rolling, when confidence is high. This is happening when the Lakers have lost five out of their last 10 games, and there are big concerns about their defense, and injuries are piling up. But this group is still connected and is showing no signs of breaking down.
Doncic has always been like this. Even going back to his early NBA days, teammates have described him as someone who keeps the locker room light, who talks trash constantly, and who never lets the mood get too serious. The difference now is that he is doing it as the unquestioned leader of the room, and everyone else is clearly buying in.
There is also something telling about who Luka chose to joke with. Rui and Reaves are not fringe players. They are trusted pieces. You only joke like that with guys you respect and feel comfortable around. And both of them fired back in their own ways, which only added to the moment.
In a league where chemistry is often talked about but rarely seen this clearly, moments like these matter. Luka telling Rui he cannot enter Slovenia and brushing off Reaves as ‘so so’ might sound ridiculous on paper, but on the floor, it reflects a team that genuinely enjoys being around each other. Winning helps, obviously. But joy like this usually shows up before the trophies, not after.
If this is what Lakers basketball looks like right now, jokes included, opponents might want to worry less about Luka’s trash talk and more about what happens when the laughing stops and the ball tips.
