Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA today. Despite being just 23 years old, he is already mentioned in the same breath as guys like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The fact that Luka was able to get the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals last year with an objectively limited supporting cast is telling. He is a generational superstar.
That said – two criticisms have continued to follow Luka around over the past couple of seasons.
This week, his dad Sasa Doncic decided to address both critiques head on.
First, Sasa addressed the conditioning woes that have plagued Luka.
“What do I really think? People who say that should ask themselves if they know what basketball is,” he told Donatas Urbonas of Basketball News. “If they see a problem with Luka, that he has too much weight or I don’t even know what…
“He’s Top 5 in the NBA. He’s almost the MVP of every game here in the EuroBasket. And everybody is talking about some bad things. But go to the court and try to stop him. If he’s so bad, like everybody says, stop him on the court.”
From there, Sasa addressed his son’s emotional nature on the court, which was on full display with his very public tantrum this past week.
“Who knows?” he continued. “You have players who waste energy like that. But we also have players who fuel themselves with it. You have players who feel comfortable talking to opponent players, coaches, fans, and teammates. Obviously, Luka likes it.”
It’s hard to argue with Sasa’s points. On the conditioning front, that whole conversation is moot. Luka underwent a massive body transformation this summer and looks to be in great shape.
As far as the emotionality goes – Luka himself has admitted it’s a problem. As has his head coach, Jason Kidd. Whether Sasa wants to acknowledge it or not, it’s something Luka has to resolve.
That said, it’s nice to see such a good relationship between Luka and Sasa. Particularly in light of this week’s news that Luka is embroiled in a bizarre legal battle with his mother.
This is shaping up to be the biggest year of Luka’s professional career.
Devin Booker looks to be in playoff form. https://t.co/kSFAwhEhMZ
— Game 7 (@game7__) September 8, 2022
Is a regular season MVP on the horizon?
Or maybe even a Finals MVP?
Tim will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
