The Los Angeles Lakers continue to stack wins early in the 2025-26 season. Their biggest headline this week, though, didn’t come from a box score. It came from a practice clip that lit up social media. A lighthearted exchange between Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura went viral on Tuesday. It showcased not just humor, but the elite chemistry powering the Lakers’ 10–4 start.
The moment began when Doncic, off camera, repeatedly shouted “RUI! RUI!” in mock desperation during a post-practice media session.
Hachimura turned around bewildered, before delivering a perfectly timed jab: “Luka is crazy. Why is he calling my name? What does he want? … He never went to school, you know that, right?”
The joke referenced Doncic’s early decision to forgo a traditional schooling path in Slovenia and Spain when he joined Real Madrid’s youth basketball academy.
The clip, first posted by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, spread across social platforms within minutes. Fans immediately flocked to the comments, praising the duo’s sense of humor and the Lakers’ lively team environment. In a league where chemistry often determines ceilings, these behind-the-scenes glimpses have become a recurring theme for Los Angeles this season.
(Off camera, Luka Doncic: “RUI! RUI!”)
Rui Hachimura: “Luka is crazy. Why is he calling my name? What does he want? … He never went to school, you know that, right?” pic.twitter.com/iv6F9dM0Cs— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 18, 2025
The viral exchange is one of many personality-filled moments emerging from the Lakers’ locker room in recent weeks. Just days earlier, Doncic joked that he speaks English better than Hachimura or Austin Reaves. It's a claim that generated its own wave of playful reactions.
The constant stream of clips paints a picture of a team fully bought into one another. They look comfortable enough to tease, laugh, and stay loose during long stretches of the season.
For a squad chasing a deep playoff run, that camaraderie matters. Doncic and Hachimura have both emphasized how this season’s group feels unusually connected. The on-court results have backed that up.
Sure, the Lakers’ offensive firepower and star power drive headlines. However, unscripted, funny, and authentic moments like these reflect the cultural shift fueling their strong start.
As the Lakers prepare for their next stretch of games, it is clear that their bond off the court is becoming as much a story as their performance on it.
