Sandro Mamukelashvili has not yet made his official Lakers debut, but the new addition says he is already impressed by the chemistry developing within Los Angeles’ revamped roster.
The forward recently discussed the Lakers’ offseason trip to Slovenia, which gave several of the team’s newcomers an opportunity to spend time together away from basketball.
Mamukelashvili credited Luka Dončić and the organization for putting together the experience.
“First of all, shoutout to Luka. I think the organization was amazing, the way they planned everything,” Mamukelashvili said. “They showed us a lot of great places, and Ljubljana is a really, really nice city.”
For Mamukelashvili, the trip was particularly valuable because Los Angeles underwent significant roster changes during the offseason.
Despite having numerous new faces, he said the group quickly became comfortable around one another.
“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.”
That early connection has left Mamukelashvili encouraged about what the Lakers can accomplish once the season begins.
Players have continued spending time together during the offseason, including on the golf course.
Asked who could challenge Austin Reaves as one of the team’s better golfers, Mamukelashvili pointed to Bronny James.
“I’ve been hearing a lot about Bronny [James],” Mamukelashvili said. “They say he’s really, really good, and that he actually plays a lot. … So I’m kind of looking forward to seeing the Luka, Austin, Bronny tournament.”
Mamukelashvili arrives in Los Angeles as an experienced depth option after previous stops with the Bucks, Spurs and Raptors.
He is also only a year removed from averaging a career-high 11.2 points, along with 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
