Luka Doncic rewards his Lakers teammates with a Porsche driving experience
What Luka Doncic did for his Lakers teammates was unique and different but no less impactful. It was an insider’s view of the star goalkeeper’s approach to leading the team.
In a team-building event organized by Doncic, he took his teammates to test drive a Porsche after practice on Tuesday. He covered the entire cost of the event in which his teammates tested Porsche models on track.
That impressed Lakers center DeAndre Ayton, who put a smile on his face when asked about Doncic’s gesture.
“I really appreciate Luca for that,” Ayton said. “I’ve never done that before, where star players really care about the team like that. Something like that is actually crazy. I’d never heard of it before or been in a Porsche before. So it was definitely my first time. I didn’t know Luka liked cars like that. So, yeah, him and LeBron [James]. It was good to see them behind the wheel. Seeing LeBron behind the car is dangerous.
At 7 feet tall, Ayton was asked if he was comfortable driving the car.
“Yes, they had some cars they could carry that were 7 feet long,” he said. “I don’t know if it was custom or that’s just the way they’re made or some other factor. But as soon as I saw LeBron James in a sports car being pushed, I was like, ‘Oh my God, he knows cars.’ He was doing his own thing, which was cool to see.”
All summer and during training camp, the Lakers talked about building team chemistry.
They talked about how doing things together off the field is an important part of building chemistry and getting to know a teammate.
Doncic and James are considered one of their leaders and that was seen as generosity.
“Yeah, I mean, at any given time, some guys and guys that have been in the league for a while can give something to the team, which is cool,” Gabe Vincent said. “It’s great when we come together and do something maybe more extravagant than we would do on our own. Everyone should come up with some great stuff.” [stuff].
“Most importantly, you have to do it together, you know what I mean? Sharing experiences is one of the quickest ways to get closer. So, we’re very grateful to Luca for doing this. Everyone had a great time. It was great to see him feel more comfortable.”
Vincent also did his part in the team building moment.
Over the summer, he invited his teammates to the sand dunes of Manhattan Beach.
It was his show of leadership after many practices and his way to help build team chemistry.
“So, I tried to get the guys together, and it was mostly young guys, but just get out in the sand, play a little ball, work in the sand a little bit,” Vincent said. “It’s something to get out of this [practice facility] Build, do you know what I mean? In the summer, we spend so much time in the gym, doing the same thing over and over again that sometimes we need a change of scenery. So, this was something different for us, something we got to do together. We had a great time with her.”
Ayton is getting more comfortable
After two preseason games and several practices, Ayton is starting to feel more comfortable with his role within the Lakers’ offense.
He took more shots in Game 2 against the Warriors, making three of eight from the field, than in Game 1 against the Suns, missed both shots, and scored more points against the Warriors (seven) than against the Suns (two). He blocked two shots per game and had a total of 15 rebounds.
“How comfortable do I feel? Um, real comfortable, as I’m starting to know their plays and where the screens are and just generally, Lakers terms and Lakers basketball,” he said. “So, it became very easy to read the word and what [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick] What he likes and what he wants us to know about him, especially delving into entrapment crime and transitional crime. So, yeah, the terminology and everything is starting to become easy and I feel in control of every aspect.