Popular ESPN pundit Michael Wilbon went out of his way to trash Luka Doncic over a kind gesture. NBA opening night saw Doncic paying for Los Angeles Lakers fans to have free parking or city bike rides to attend the home opener. A dominant win over the Golden State Warriors showed a perfect night for Luka to start this new era of Lakers basketball.
However, Wilbon felt the act was performative and said that Doncic needs to prove he cares more on the court:
“For Luka, this is Luka’s show, this is Luka’s team. Remember, LeBron, Magic’s not walking through that door, Kareem’s not walking through that door, Shaq and Kobe aren’t walking through that door. This is his deal. He can take out all the ads he wants. He’s a wondrous player half the game. And then half the game, he hasn’t shown us he cares.
Can you lead a team to a championship and deliver on that promise that you made in the LA Times? What great player has ever only played half the game and led his team anywhere near a championship? So I got to see that from Luka. All these other promises don’t mean anything.”
Wilbon questioned Luka’s defensive effort and stated that he needs to see more from the Lakers superstar. Doncic had a great game for both his scoring and setting up teammate Walker Kessler with easy dunks. Wilbon criticizing Luka for treating Lakers fans well does seem to be a bit overdramatic.
Why Lakers Fans Support Luka Doncic
Wilbon wants more criticism on Doncic for being a poor defender as one of the biggest superstars in the league. Other pundits agree with Wilbon that a team led by Luka and Austin Reaves should be questioned defensively.
However, many other great players have the same issue in today’s NBA. No one is questioning Stephen Curry or Nikola Jokic for playing weak defense, but they’ve also won the NBA Championship with their flaws.
Lakers fans clearly love Doncic and have many reasons to on and off the court. A superstar doing something out of his own pocket to help fans should be commended. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant never went this far as the face of the franchise, but Luka has a history of doing these thoughtful acts for fans.
How Luka Doncic Can Shut Up Michael Wilbon
The criticism of Doncic from Wilbon and others will only go away when he wins an NBA Championship. This goal seems unfair now in a conference run by the elite Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs rosters.
Luka must prove that he can be the best player on a team that wins the entire thing. The Lakers prioritized trading for Kessler from the Utah Jazz to give Doncic his ideal center who can anchor an entire defense.
Doncic and the Lakers are betting on Kessler and other pieces improving the defense this season. Otherwise, Luka and Reaves will be an elite offensive duo. Opening night showed the vision of the Lakers and how they can be a great team led by Doncic.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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