After signing a $165 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic is now preparing for 2025 EuroBasket.
This will be the first time that fans will see Luka Doncic in action since the Los Angeles Lakers‘ first-round exit from the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Considering the fact that Doncic has shed a lot of weight, it will be interesting to see how the superstar performs for Slovenia in the 2025 EuroBasket.
With Doncic leaving on national duty, one former Laker pointed out how the 26-year-old has often ‘disrespected the NBA.’
Being a European star, Doncic has openly stated that playing in the NBA is easier than playing in Europe, at least for him.
Former LA Laker and 2002 NBA champion Samaki Walker took offense at this statement as he believes that Doncic has disrespected the league.
“The guy is a basketball savant. He’s special, a one-of-a-kind player. It’s a two-way sport. Offense/defense.
“I personally feel, and I love Luka offensively, but I feel like over the last couple of years he disrespected the NBA because I follow him,” Walker said on The Coach JB Show.
Considering the NBA has a plethora of rules that help players on the offensive end of the floor, it’s no surprise that Luka believes scoring there is easier than in Europe.
Most would agree that Doncic is unarguably one of the top offensive stars in the league. However, when it comes to his defense, the Lakers star has faced a wave of criticism throughout his NBA career.
Similar to many in the past, Walker also slammed Doncic for not giving it his all on the defensive end of the floor.
“He goes back to Europe and talks about how soft the NBA is. Yeah, he doesn’t play any defense. I take that personally,” Walker continued.
The ex-Laker concluded, stating: “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.”
It’s about time that Doncic proves his critics wrong. Even NBA legend Gary Payton issued Doncic this challenge for the 2025-26 NBA season.
