Rui Hachimura and Luka Doncic have key roles to play for the LA Lakers to contend for the 2025-26 NBA championship. Last season, the Lakers went 10-5 when both played. Hachimura and Doncic started in every game in the playoffs, which served as another foundation to their growing chemistry.When asked on Wednesday about his relationship with Doncic, the Japanese basketball star responded (via Spectrum SportsNet):"I always forget that he's younger than me. … He teaches me a lot of stuff. He always wants to communicate with me about what he wants me to do on the floor."Doncic is a year younger than the 27-year-old Hachimura, but the Slovenian entered the NBA in 2018, a year before Hachimura joined the league. The forward also conceded that the superstar point guard has been playing basketball longer than him, which makes Doncic the more experienced player.Rui Hachimura, who signed a three-year, $51 million contract in 2023, is a major part of the roster around Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Hachimura's role could change, but the Lakers hope to have another good year from him. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Redick will lean on him to give the team a boost.Rui Hachimura shares having fun talking with Luka Doncic about off-court stuffRui Hachimura and Luka Doncic have gotten quite close since the former Dallas Mavericks superstar arrived in February. While talking to reporters on Wednesday, the Japanese shared that they discuss off-court stuff as much as they do about basketball.Hachimura added more context to his “random” talks with Doncic:“He loves Serbian music, so we always talk about how bad Serbian music is. And I always listen to Afrobeats, so he always tries to say that Afrobeats is bad.”The LA Lakers are pinning their hopes on Luka Doncic this season and in the next few years. They extended JJ Redick, the coach Doncic wants to play for throughout his career, to make the point guard comfortable. Having the versatile Rui Hachimura, who has closely bonded with Doncic, should bode well for the Lakers.