EL SEGUNDO — In an expansive interview for a Sports Illustrated cover shoot during the offseason in Slovenia, Luka Doncic reminisced over how the 2025-26 season ended for him.
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Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring string in Oklahoma City on April 2, admitting that he deserved blame for remaining in the late regular-season game against the Thunder after already feeling his hamstring injury earlier during the game.
“When it comes to my spirit of trying to win, I am just stubborn,” Doncic told Sports Illustrated, in the article that was released earlier this week. “I felt a little bit in the first half that I should have just stopped. I should have come out. I think we had a team that could compete for the championship. I definitely regret it””
Speaking Saturday afternoon, Doncic addressed his comments with local media.
“You saw what I said about my injury,” the Slovenian star said. “First of all, my thought was just to get fully healthy and obviously (I) had the whole summer for that and I feel great. But obviously I thought we had a team that could compete for a championship, so it was kind of disappointing. Kind of let the team down, so it’s definitely motivating for this season.”
Doncic, who led the league in scoring last season with 33.5 points per game on his way to All-NBA honors, has been clear during the first few weeks of the preseason: He had a say – alongside coach JJ Redick and President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Rob Pelinka – on how the new roster was assembled in a post-LeBron James era.
Nine new players and a new defensive identity – Doncic smirked when discussing the defensive tenants of Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle on Saturday – has the 27-year-old star feeling confident over the Lakers’ title hopes in the 2026-27 season.
The Lakers tip off their season Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
“Since the first day,” Doncic said when asked when he believed the new Lakers squad could win a championship. “That simple. Since the first day everybody came together in Slovenia … I believed that we can win a championship.”
It’s not just Doncic, however. His teammates believe, with Doncic leading the way on offense, anything is possible.
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“When you got a guy like Luka, going into the game you feel like you can beat anybody,” center Kevon Looney said. “He’s going to be the best player on the court probably every night we’re out there. And we feel like if we do our job, he’s going to do his job and he’s going to clinch us the game.”
At the buzzer
Star center Walker Kessler participated in practice Saturday, but sat out of live action again as he recovers from a jammed finger that has kept him off the floor in the Lakers’ first three preseason games.
Redick declined to commit to Kessler playing in the Lakers’ next preseason game Tuesday night in Las Vegas against the Warriors.
“(Kessler) was in for about half the practice and we’ll see tomorrow if he can do live,” Redick said.
When it comes to guard Collin Sexton, who has also yet to play in the preseason, Redick said he has a lower-leg injury and is “a little bit farther behind” than Kessler in his recovery. Sexton was a “modified” participant in practice, Redick added.
Redick said Thursday, when asked if there was any worry if Sexton would not be available opening night, that he was not worried.
Williams, who missed Tuesday and Thursday’s preseason games, is dealing with a foot contusion, Redick said. Two-way forward Arthur Kaluma (undisclosed lower-body injury) returned to practice Saturday.
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