Luka Doncic has been the talk of the NBA summer. The Don has gotten insanely shredded ever since the Lakers were eliminated from the 2024 postseason, and is already eyeing a better performance for the Purple and Gold’s 2025 campaign.
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Yet Samaki Walker is unconvinced that Luka is ready to bounce right back. The now-retired veteran appeared on The Coach JB show to admit that he’s a little salty with the 26-year-old Slovenian. Why? Because of his old comments about basketball in Europe being harder than in the NBA.
Luka famously told his now coach, JJ Redick, during a one-on-one sit-down that it was easier to score in the NBA because of the different rules the two leagues have. He later clarified that the talent in the NBA far exceeds that of Euroball. However, that meant little to Walker.
“The guy is a basketball savant. He’s special, a one-of-a-kind player,” Walker began before he aimed his words at Doncic’s poor defensive efforts.
“It’s a two-way sport. Offense/defense. I personally feel, and I love Luka offensively, but I feel like over a couple years he disrespected the NBA because I follow him. He go back to Europe and talk about how soft the NBA is. Yeah, he don’t play no defense. I take that personally.”
The 2002 NBA Champ wasn’t done there either. He challenged the newly fit superstar to actually show he had the mentality to play D this season. “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 take a mentality to play D.”
It’s by no means a poor take by Walker. That said, if he wanted to aim a rant about the lack of defense, don’t just point it at Doncic, but the entire league. To think that it was solely on Luka to save the Lakers’ defensive woes is delusional, especially when the team never had a true 5 once Anthony Davis was traded.
Besides, Doncic himself has acknowledged that defense is an area he needs to improve in. He’s already told the NBA media that he hopes his recruitment of former DPOY Marcus Smart will help in that area, especially since the Don and Smart already seem to be close.
Look, there is no doubt that Luka can improve on the defensive side of the ball. When the core of your team offense is him, Austin Reaves, and a 40-year-old LeBron James, winning on both sides of the court is the only way they can succeed.
But Luka has been clutch his entire NBA career thus far. He took the Mavericks to the Finals because he delivers in big moments, and has created more Luka Magic plays than Walker could ever imagine in his career. Criticizing someone is one thing. Doing it with a career average of 5 PPG is another. Let this one go big guy.
