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Nearly 10 years before teaming up for the Lakers, Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton were just teenaged prospects with big dreams. They first met at a Basketball without Borders camp in 2016. The roster that year also included future NBA champions Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Hartenstein. Hachimura recalled Ayton dominating everyone. Then the 7-foot center from the Bahamas inexplicably disappeared. “That’s what I remember,” Hachimura said with a smile remembering his first impression of his future Lakers teammate. “I was like, ‘Where’s this guy going?’”
Moreover, looking at the lineup data spells an even more interesting picture. That's because the Lakers' lineup of James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura is the worst James five-man lineup since 2007-08 (the first season with this kind of lineup data). That current Lakers' lineup has a -3.9 plus/minus together, the worst James-featured lineup in 19 years (we only counted lineups that had a minimum of 10 games and 20 minutes played together).
Dave McMenamin: Rui Hachimura took LeBron James’ place in the Lakers’ pregame ritual by throwing the ball up towards the rafters and catching it off the bounce, to signal a simultaneous team squat. Luka did not approve: “Never again. Never again. He was terrible.”
Benjamin Royer: Rui Hachimura is fully available for the Lakers, no minutes restriction, coach JJ Redick said, following his illness that kept him off the court in the two-game road trip.
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Khobi Price: Rui Hachimura is questionable for tomorrow at Phoenix because of an illness, while Jaxson Hayes is probable.
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Law Murray: Of the eight teammates that Marcus Smart has played more than 70 minutes with this season, the Lakers have outscored their opponents with five of them (Ayton, Doncic, Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Reaves) Asked Smart about how a player might observe how they play within lineup combos
Of the eight teammates that Marcus Smart has played more than 70 minutes with this season, the Lakers have outscored their opponents with five of them (Ayton, Doncic, Hachimura, Vanderbilt, Reaves)
— Law Murray 🏴☠️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) February 23, 2026
Asked Smart about how a player might observe how they play within lineup combos pic.twitter.com/T0GzS8v0ZD
Hachimura, who was acquired by L.A. from the Washington Wizards leading up to the 2023 deadline and helped spark a run to the conference finals, had gotten used to life as a Laker -- and all that comes with it. "With the Lakers, we get a lot of rumors," Hachimura told ESPN. "But a lot of times, those rumors are bulls---. ... "We have the time now where it's like, 'OK, this is our group now.' Because we know that now. So we're ready for what's next."
Edwin Garcia: Rui Hachimura shouts out Phil Handy for helping him develop his 3-point shot. Handy was part of the Lakers' staff for years and is now part of the Mavericks' organization.
For all the ups in this game, there was one down with Stephon Castle. After a massive block at the summit on Rui Hachimura, Castle crashed to the ground and suffered a pelvic contusion. His X-rays were negative, according to a team source, but he spent a concerning amount of time on the ground before eventually hobbling back to the locker room.
