As Dan Woike describes in a lighthearted piece for The Athletic, the Lakers had an amusing moment during a rough stretch in the third quarter when their lead had been cut to 11.
Backup big man Maxi Kleber unexpectedly air-balled an open layup on an and-one opportunity, a play so surprising that several teammates on the bench burst into laughter (the clip is available via YouTube).
Gabe Vincent explained the reaction Sunday, saying, “We were just caught off guard. … We all thought he was going to dunk it. … Shot a fade-away layup. Crazy.”
Right after that moment of humor, the Lakers responded with an 8-0 run, something Woike notes as both a turning point in the game and a reflection of the team’s upbeat chemistry.
According to him, the players regularly joke with one another, and the ability to do so helps keep the group connected.
Kleber agreed about the value of maintaining that kind of environment.
“It’s very important,” he said. “It’s a long season. Obviously, this was a funny play. But it could be serious, where we have a bad stretch, or a bad game, and it’s important that we stick together as a team. And that we can laugh about things and just work it out and not take it too hard. Because we know we’re good. And I think it helps to regain focus quickly.”
Lakers Notes: LeBron, Smart, Ayton, Kleber, Luka, Reaves, Borrego https://t.co/0Fw1i2vw64 pic.twitter.com/HAFr1DwRO1
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 2, 2025
