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“Luka Would Never Make That” - Former Los Angeles Lakers Star Criticizes Five-Time All-Star 29 Mar 31, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts to a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

NBA Legend Doubts Luka Doncic’s Ceiling: ‘That Style Won’t Get You Back There’

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Reign Amurao | Last updated Sep 30, 2025 7:53 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have championship aspirations with their star player, Luka Doncic. The entire team is shaped around Doncic, as the team seeks to win its second NBA title in the 2020s. The Slovenian sensation has proven capable of leading a team to the Finals. In 2024, he led the Dallas Mavericks to the biggest stage in the league but came up short against the Boston Celtics.

Over the past season, doubt has surrounded the five-time All-Star. The Mavericks, the organization that drafted him, had doubts regarding his physical conditioning. In exchange for Anthony Davis, he became a co-star of LeBron James with the Lakers, the largest transaction in league history.

His loyal fans still believe that he can play a significant part in a potential title contender. However, several of his contemporaries have expressed skepticism about his ability to guide the Lakers to a title.

The latest person to reveal their doubt about Doncic was NBA legend Scottie Pippen. The former Chicago Bulls star was interviewed by MARCA recently. During his time with the media outlet, the six-time champion criticized the five-time All-NBA’s play style and ceiling, questioning if it’s enough to lead the Lakers.

“I don’t know. His style of play got him to the Finals. But I’m not sure if that style will get him there again. It was a unique feat, but when they got to the Finals, they didn’t have much,” the Bulls legend said.

He doubled down on his take about Luka Doncic and expressed that basketball is a team sport.

“As I’ve said, basketball is a team sport. One player alone doesn’t make you win. You need soldiers, warriors, players who will sacrifice. No matter who you have, you need a team.”

The Lakers have high praise for Luka Doncic’s leadership

Mar 29, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Lakers are invested in Luka Doncic, which explains the moves they made during the offseason. Their belief in Doncic was evident during last week’s media day. Rob Pelinka, president of basketball operations, spoke highly of the All-Star guard’s leadership and attitude. In the 2025 EuroBasket, Pelinka made use of the star player’s recent success with the Slovenian men’s national basketball team.

“There’s a lot to talk about with Luka’s accomplishments with EuroBasket,” Pelinka said. “The thing that probably stood out among many things for me is just being able to go and spend some time at practices with his (Slovenian) national team and obviously going to the game as well. But his just his overall leadership tone.

Pelinka explained that not only did Luka Doncic lead by example, but he also set expectations for the group. Pelinka expects it to carry over in the Lakers’ training camp ahead of the new season.

NBA Legend Doubts Luka Doncic’s Ceiling: ‘That Style Won’t Get You Back There’ 9 Mar 8, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) walks off of the court after a game against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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