The Los Angeles Lakers extended their stay in Slovenia with a visit to the Ljubljana Maternity Hospital and nearby Pediatric Clinic to greet mothers with newborn babies and ill children.
After finishing the visit, Jarred Vanderbilt gave a quick interview to a Slovenian reporter, who asked him if he would ever return to the country, to which the 27-year-old forward responded that he would love to and hinted at possibly returning with a Slovenian passport.
“I would love to [come back]. Not gonna lie, I didn’t know much about it before I came here, but it’s definitely a spot I will revisit”, Vanderbilt said, adding:
“I’m looking to get my Slovenian passport, so we’ll see. Might be part Slovenian.”
Exclusive interview with Vando, they commented that maybe next time he comes to Slovenia, it'll be as a member of Slovenian national team 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/HY1QyEVeyN
— Anja 🇸🇮 | #verybigmusiccritic (@kurooscoffee) August 24, 2026
Slovenia’s precedent with NBA naturalizations
This is not the first time a Luka Doncic teammate has been linked to getting a Slovenian passport, as a similar situation happened with Jaxson Hayes.
Hayes, now a former Lakers member and the new center for the Utah Jazz, received Slovenian citizenship earlier this year and will be able to represent the national team in the future as a naturalized player.
However, Slovenia will have to wait for that, as he will not be present for the upcoming FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, much like Doncic himself.
Lakers’ minicamp in Slovenia
The hospital visit provided a meaningful conclusion to a four-day trip that Doncic organized to bring his teammates together before the start of the 2026/27 NBA season.
The Lakers arrived in Slovenia on Thursday, with the minicamp combining basketball preparations and extensive team-bonding activities. The private trip was organized and funded by Doncic.
After checking into their hotel, the group kicked things off with a team dinner before getting to work on the basketball court. They held several practice sessions, and the group also experienced Ljubljana away from basketball before the trip later moved to Lake Bled.
