The Los Angeles Lakers‘ front office has been hard at work this offseason. With several new additions to the roster, the Purple and Gold certainly look like a brand-new team. While promising, these many new faces would typically raise concerns about the process of building chemistry. However, Lakers superstar Luka Doncic seems to have taken the lead on this front.
Luka Doncic invited the entire Lakers squad to Slovenia this summer, offering to host them and even pay for their trip to his hometown. As noteworthy as this gesture is, Doncic pulled out all the stops to ensure his teammates arrived in comfort.
According to a report on Zurnal24.si, the Lakers superstar chartered a private plane for his teammates to fly to and from Ljubljana. To make matters more impressive, however, the report also revealed the cost Doncic incurred, as it mentioned:
“Doncic covered all the costs of a several-day trip, during which basketball players from the most famous NBA franchise will get to know some of the beauties of Slovenia. For transportation from the United States, Doncic rented a private jet of a prestigious brand. The aircraft is a Global 8000 from the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier… The Bombardier Global 8000 accommodates 20 passengers in its luxurious interior.”
“The plane costs around $75 million, and renting it isn’t cheap either. The cheapest rental rate is $18,000 per hour, but that’s only for those who book at least 25 hours of flight time per year. If we take into account the length of the flight from Los Angeles to Slovenia, we can conclude that Doncic paid around a quarter of a million dollars for the one-way air transportation of his teammates.”
As one of the highest-paid players in the NBA, it is not surprising for Luka Doncic to foot the bill for his teammates. Still, an expected airfare of nearly $500,000 is nothing short of ridiculous.
Either way, Luka Doncic’s efforts are likely to be well received as the Lakers’ roster recently touched down at Ljubljana airport. Videos of Lakers players such as Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, and Bronny James arriving also drew some traction on social media, as the squad was immediately greeted by fans.
The Lakers have officially arrived in Slovenia, where a huge crowd of fans was there to welcome them. 🇸🇮
(Via 24ur/IG) pic.twitter.com/4fSeyBkXSg
— Tyler Covers NBA (@TylerCoversNBA) August 20, 2026
It is worth noting that this trip will have very little to do with basketball. Reports indicated that the itinerary would focus on team bonding with activities such as golfing, finishing in Lake Bled, and touring. Hence, even before the team can get to know each other on the court, it appears Luka Doncic is prioritizing getting familiar with his teammates as individuals first.
In many ways, Luka Doncic’s commitment to building chemistry is quite promising. In light of the drama currently surrounding the Purple and Gold, these updates provide some semblance of stability within the team’s core.
The Lakers will remain in Slovenia from August 20 to August 24. Given that the majority of the Lakers squad is in Slovenia, with Cameron Carr being the only exception due to rookie orientation, the 27-year-old’s efforts to unify the team may yield fruit.
