Georgian power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili gave a candid review of the Los Angeles Lakers minicamp organized by Luka Doncic in Slovenia this summer.
After signing with the Lakers this summer, Sandro Mamukelashvili thanked his new teammate in an interview with ESPN for the well-organized camp. He highlighted that it was a great way to gel with the team and that they managed to see and do a lot during their time together.
“First of all, shoutout to Luka. I think the organization was amazing, the way they planned everything. They showed us a lot of great places, and Ljubljana is a really, really nice city.
Plus, it was great for the new team. It was a bunch of new guys on the team, and you know, all of us being together, it didn’t even feel like it was a lot of new guys,” he said.
First Look 👀: Lakers Forward @Mamukelashvili5 Steps In For A Little Lakers Talk Daily with @Hawkins_Deondre pic.twitter.com/4QGGTi5QkC
— ESPN Los Angeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) September 5, 2026
Minicamp in Slovenia
Doncic organized a private offseason minicamp for the Lakers in Slovenia.
The gathering was designed to combine basketball work with team bonding before the official start of preparations for the 2026/27 NBA season.
In addition to on-court trainings, Doncic organized several off-court activities. They visited Lake Bled, went fishing, played golf, and had meals at Doncic’s favorite spots, along with other activities to build chemistry.
According to the earlier reports, Doncic arranged a chartered flight for a large group of Lakers players and prepared Slovenian-themed gifts for his teammates.
Not the only one who enjoyed trip
He is not the only one who enjoyed this trip. His new teammate, Jarred Vanderbilt, expressed his desire to return in one of his interviews during the visit.
“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.”
Sandro Mamukelashvili’s breakout season
Sandro Mamukelashvili signed a four-year, $52 million contract this summer to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Georgian power forward is coming off an excellent season with the Toronto Raptors, which earned him this lucrative contract.
Putting up career-high averages of 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, he helped Toronto secure 46 wins and take their first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games.
Before his stint with the Toronto Raptors, he played for Milwaukee Bucks from 2021 to 2023 and for San Antonio Spurs from 2023 to 2025.
