The Los Angeles Lakers group trip to Slovenia shows Luka Doncic looking to be in great shape, but one NBA personality hates that he’s getting praised for it. Sports host Colin Cowherd ranted about fans praising Doncic for getting in shape over the past two years. The belief of Cowherd is that this is the bare minimum expected, and Luka should still be criticized for not being in peak condition a few years ago.
Cowherd dropped the following quote during his daily talk show:
“When I see a picture of him slimmed down, and people are buzzing. Guys, that’s the baseline… This is what a pro athlete should look like. We shouldn’t be buzzing every other year. ‘Huh, put him on Men’s Health.’ He’s a pro athlete. Gotta just stay in shape”
Fans can go either way when it comes to discussing the conditioning of Doncic. One variable that Cowherd ignored is that Luka got into far better shape last season. Doncic delivered incredible performances to help the team reach a fourth seed, with LeBron James and Austin Reaves as co-stars. However, the superstar still suffered an injury to miss the playoffs while being in much better shape than previous seasons with deep playoff runs.
Why Colin Cowherd Calls Out Luka Doncic
History has seen most all-time great NBA stars being in their best possible conditioning to make the most out of their careers. Michael Jordan, LeBron, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant all made sure to have great stamina on the court via their off-court conditioning.
Doncic and fellow current star Nikola Jokic are two players who get called out for not looking like the traditional athletes. Cowherd and other media personnel often believe that players who aren’t in great shape show a sign of laziness. It leads to deeper criticism and not wanting to praise them for improvement.
The only way for Luka to shut up Cowherd is to have a healthy season where he stays in shape all year. Unfortunately, the Lakers aren’t forecasted to be a serious contender this year after losing LeBron and others to add Walker Kessler as the center of the future. Doncic will be tasked with carrying a heavier workload.
Lakers Fans Should Not Worry About Luka Doncic
Last offseason showed that Luka was taking this seriously and wanted to be in the best shape of his career. Back-to-back offseasons have shown Doncic improving at his greatest weakness that caused Dallas to trade him for Anthony Davis.
Luka was outstanding last season and is already showing great signs for this upcoming season. The team trip to Slovenia has seen the Lakers team bonding closely about two months before their regular season opener against the Golden State Warriors.
Everything falls on Doncic this season with Reaves, Kessler, and Quentin Grimes as his best teammates. The Lakers still have a strong chance at landing Jonathan Kuminga in free agency, but the season’s success will come down to how much Luka can lead them. Early signs are looking good, despite Cowherd and others trying to invalidate his progress.
Colin Cowherd Rips Lakers Fans For Praising Luka Doncic