While Luka Doncic is widely recognized as one of the NBA’s top players, even leading his team alongside Kyrie Irving to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the Boston Celtics, not everyone is impressed. A former Lakers Hall of Famer has called out Doncic for what he sees as a significant flaw in the Slovenian’s game.
Michael Cooper, a former Defensive Player of the Year, made his thoughts clear during a segment of his podcast, “Showtime Podcast with Michael Cooper.” In a game of ‘Start, Bench, and Cut,‘ Cooper chose to start Damian Lillard, bench Doncic, and cut Irving.
Cooper explained that his decision to bench Doncic stemmed from his belief that the Mavericks star lacks effort, particularly on defense. “Luka gives you that triple-double almost every night, but he’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy,” Cooper stated. “He doesn’t hustle back on defense.”
Luka Doncic previously criticized by NFL star
This isn’t the first time Doncic has faced harsh criticism. Following the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, former Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy also took aim at Doncic, labeling him the worst All-Star he had ever seen.
“Luka is the worst All-Star I’ve ever seen in my life,” McCoy said. “He can score, pass, and rebound, but he has no effort on defense. He doesn’t hustle for loose balls or rebounds.”
McCoy continued, “He has no sense of urgency in playing solid basketball, and I won’t let my son, who wants to be a basketball player, watch his tape. I don’t want him learning from a superstar like that. No hustle, no attitude, no care. It’s crazy.”
