Aug 2, 2025; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers Luka Doncic (77) gets a hug from team co-owner Jeanie Buss following a press conference announcing the signing of his contract extension at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Lakers' Luka Doncic Reveals Team He Wants to Retire With

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Nelson Espinal | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic revealed which team he would like to retire with in a recent interview.

Doncic sat down with Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal recently for a profile story, covering his tremendous year so far and how he envisions his career playing out.

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During the interview, Doncic revealed his ideal last team would be Real Madrid, where he played for years as a teenager, highlighting the impact that his choosen organization had on his career.

"For sure. They raised me," Doncic told WSJ about retiring with Madrid.

The Slovenian signed with Real Madrid at the age of 13, spending three seasons at the junior level before getting promoted to the senior team as a full-time professional.

He became the youngest player ever to take the court for Real Madrid during his debut, and the third youngest in league history.

"To play with Real Madrid, you have to be so good,” Doncic added.

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During his last season with Real Madrid, Luka Doncic averaged 12.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 24 minutes per game.

He played a total of 94 professional games before coming over to the NBA and joining the Dallas Mavericks.

Rob Pelinka on Luka Doncic's Weight Loss

After several years with the Mavs, Doncic ended up getting traded to the Lakers, where the team has welcomed the superstar with open arms.

The star was the recipient of leaked attacks from the Dallas organization, mainly targeting his weight and commitment to getting in shape.

Doncic took these comments personally and took the offseason to improve his overall health.

He has shown off his improved physique at EuroBasket, where he shone as he led Slovenia's national team.

"Players playing basketball in the offseason is something that, from a leadership standpoint, I support," Pelinka told ESPN.

"I think you could say in some sense that some of the offseason and sort of the current basketball lens, especially in the States, is on individual work. And I think that sort of the team environment can get lost.

"There's risk in anything. There's risks in over-individualized training and wearing muscles down that way, or joints down that way. Luka's incredibly thoughtful about how he approaches his way to improve as a basketball player.

"And I think you can tell he is the highest form of himself when he is in a competitive environment. That's just what animates him," Pelinka concluded.