Well, when you are Luka Doncic, you are bound to make headlines, be it midseason, playoffs, or the preseason. He played extremely well against the Sacramento Kings in the Lakers’ final tune-up before the regular season begins. However, it wasn’t his game but a heated showdown with Dennis Schroder that caught the attention of the fans.
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Doncic and Schroder have hugely different statuses in the NBA. One’s a potential MVP, and one of the faces of the league. The other has largely been a solid starter/sixth man. A journeyman, of sorts. But back in Europe, the Lakers’ Slovenian shooting guard and the Kings’ German point guard are both superstars.
They had locked horns in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket quarterfinals in July, where Schroder got the last laugh. Germany defeated Slovenia and went on to win the tournament as well. So, was this verbal battle Lakers met the Kings on Friday night, just Doncic being salty?
Schroder and Doncic were chirping as early as the first quarter, with Schroder seemingly trash-talking, and Doncic scornfully laughing it off. “I’m not fu***** with you,” the Lakers man said during the altercation.
Schroder isn’t known to be too feisty on the court. He’s a reliable guard who, more often than not, despite his lack of star reputation in the NBA, gets the job done. In fact, he’s slated to be the starting PG for the Kings.
Doncic, on the other hand, loves to talk smack while playing ball. It’s a habit he picked up after moving to America in 2018. In Europe, Doncic had not encountered much trash-talking while winning titles with Real Madrid.
“I think in the NBA it’s way more than in Europe. When I was a kid, I didn’t trash-talk in Europe, I was still a kid, I didn’t. It’s just way more in the NBA for sure, anybody talks,” Doncic had said in an earlier interview.
So, in addition to getting better as a player, Doncic has also become one of the best trash-talkers in the league. And usually, he backs it up with his performances.
Sadly for him — although it doesn’t count for much other than bragging rights — Schroder once again got the last laugh following their heated exchange. The Kings defeated the Lakers 117-116 despite Doncic scoring 31 points on 8-16 shooting from the field.
Imagine a playoff bout between these two teams, and then let’s let Schroder and Doncic fight with their skills and mouths. That ought to be fun.
