When a former Los Angeles Lakers champion publicly questioned Luka Doncic’s defensive mindset, it reignited debate over whether the newly minted Laker is ready to evolve beyond offensive dominance.
Samaki Walker, who played alongside Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, challenged Doncic to prove that his legendary scoring comes with equal resistance on defense.
“I love Luka offensively, but I feel like over a few years, he disrespected the NBA,” Walker stated plainly on “The Coach JB Show.”
His concern centers on comments where Doncic suggested it’s easier to score in the NBA compared to Europe, a claim Walker found offensive.
“He goes back to Europe and talks about how soft the NBA is, yet he don’t play no defense,” Walker argued. “I want to see if he’s actually in shape, and he has the mentality to play defense.
“Hell, you can get in shape, but it still takes a mentality to play D.” Walker’s blunt assessment hints at the growing expectation that superstars carry defensive accountability too.
Praise from Lakers royalty comes alongside calls for growth
Despite Walker’s critique, Lakers legend Pau Gasol offered a contrasting, more optimistic perspective. Gasol applauded both Doncic’s $165 million contract extension and his commitment to community service.
“Congratulations on your extension, happy for you and proud of the efforts your foundation is making to break down the barriers that too often stand in the way of young athletes chasing their dreams,” Gasol wrote on social media in applauding the $5 million donation the Luka Doncic Foundation pledged toward 77 promising young athletes worldwide.
Enshrined as one of the Lakers’ most celebrated international stars, Gasol’s message underscores a warm embrace from the Los Angeles community, faith in both Doncic’s character and talent for the long haul.
Coming to Los Angeles in a blockbuster midseason trade, Doncic immediately became the focus of Lakers fans and analysts alike. He helped lift the team to the third seed in the West, yet they fell short in the first round of the playoffs.
Drafted from Europe, Doncic is no stranger to pressure, but his arrival on the West Coast comes with heightened expectations: to transform the Lakers’ fortunes while embodying two-way excellence.
With Walker’s call for a defensive awakening and Gasol’s encouragement for leadership and philanthropy, Luka stands at a crossroads.
Critics demand growth on both ends of the floor. Fans and legends hope he will deliver. For a player of his caliber, that may be the next step in his legendary ascent.
Read the full article here
