Luka Doncic is one of the best NBA players today, but Los Angeles Lakers icon Michael Cooper isn’t a big fan. On the most recent episode of the Showtime Podcast with Michael Cooper, Cooper played ‘Start, Bench, and Cut’ with Doncic, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving, but strangely did not start the Slovenian.
“Start Dame, bench Luka, and cut Kyrie,” Cooper stated.
Cooper cut Irving because he and Lillard are the same player. He then added that he prefers speedy and athletic players, which is why Doncic does not start.
“Luka gives you that triple-double almost any night, but he’s too slow for me,” Cooper told ESPN. “If he wasn’t a scorer, I would release him. But he can score; you have to give the guy credit. To me, he is lethargic and does not hustle back on defense.”
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Cooper is not the first to describe Doncic as slow and lazy, and he will not be the last. The Dallas Mavericks star’s reputation suffered significantly during the 2024 NBA Finals versus the Boston Celtics.
Doncic struggled defensively against the Celtics and did not hustle. I have some pity for the 25-year-old, though, because he was playing through an injury and his movements were plainly hampered.
Despite this, Doncic averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game during the Finals. He was by far the Mavericks’ best player, and I didn’t blame him much for the team’s five-game loss.
Returning to Cooper’s comments, it’s not surprising that he wasn’t a big fan of Doncic given the type of player he was. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and made eight All-Defensive teams during his 12-year career with the Lakers. Cooper should naturally gravitate toward guys that play similarly to him, but Doncic does not.
LeSean McCoy Called Luka Doncic The Worst All-Star He Has Seen
Following the 2024 NBA Finals, former NFL great LeSean McCoy made some weird comments about Luka, making Cooper’s comments appear less harsh. McCoy went so far as to call Doncic the worst All-Star he’s ever seen.
“Luka is the worst All-Star I’ve ever seen in my life,” he stated. “He can score, pass, and rebound. He makes no effort on defense. He doesn’t want to play defense. “He doesn’t hustle for loose balls or loose rebounds.”
“He has no sense of urgency about playing good basketball, and I will not allow my kid, who wants to be a basketball player…. I will not let him watch his tape. I do not want you to learn from a celebrity like that. There’s no hustling. No attitude. I don’t care. Crazy.”
McCoy went too far there. Over the years, we’ve seen a number of All-Stars fail to put forth any effort on defense or hustle on the floor. I also strongly disagree with McCoy’s claim that Doncic doesn’t care, as the five-time All-Star wouldn’t have been on the court if that were the case. He was hurt, and I believe people should give him a break.
