Apr 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) pass is deflected by Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) during the third quarter of game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

'He Disrespected the NBA' – Former Los Angeles Lakers Big Calls Out Luka Doncic for Calling the League Soft

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 10:11 AM ET

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Samaki Walker recently criticized Luka Doncic for calling the NBA soft while questioning his ability to play defense.

Speaking in an interview on the Coach JB Show, Walker challenged Doncic not just to stay in shape but to step up on the defensive end to help take the Los Angeles Lakers to the next level.

“I personally feel — and I love Luka offensively — but I feel like over the last few years, he disrespected the NBA because I follow him,” Walker explained. “He goes back to Europe and talks about how soft the NBA is, yet he doesn’t play any defense. You know what I’m saying? So, yeah, I take that personally.”

Mar 31, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks to pass as defended by Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

“I wanna see if he’s in shape and he has the mentality to play defense ’cause, hell, you can get in shape, but it still takes a mentality to play D, you know what I’m saying? A lot of time, these guys don’t wanna play defense because they don’t wanna look bad because of their brand,” he added.

Los Angeles Lakers News: Luka Doncic opens up on his body transformation

Luka Doncic has been lauded for his weight loss this offseason, and the Los Angeles Lakers star admitted that it was an adjustment period for him. He also reiterated that working on his conditioning was never about his former team, the Dallas Mavericks.

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) on the sidelines against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

“I know how much basketball means to me. It has given me a lot in my life. But I also like to play other sports. The first three or four days were hard for me without basketball, but then I just got used to it,” Doncic told reporters via Slovenia’s Svet24.

“At first, basically everything, but it’s a matter of habit. After I got used to it, nothing was particularly difficult,” he added.