The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the headlines, as LeBron James capped off his solid USA men’s basketball run with a gold medal and a 2024 Olympics MVP in Paris, France. But this time, Michael Cooper — an NBA Hall of Famer — made the headlines, as the five-time NBA champion recently gave a surprising opinion about Luka Doncic on his podcast, “Showtime with Coop.”
Cooper appears to be unafraid to share his opinions. In his latest podcast episode, he did a “start, bench, and cut” segment that featured Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Damian Lillard. In a surprising move, he started Lillard, benched Doncic, and cut Irving. He said that the top reason why he benched Luka Doncic was because he believed the Mavericks star was “lazy, especially on the defensive side of the ball.” Read on for further details surrounding his hot take.
Michael Cooper’s Surprise to the Public
Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper, one of the best NBA players to play for the purple and gold, knows some things about professional basketball. Cooper was a shooting guard for the Lakers from 1978 to 1990 and played with Virtus Roma from 1990 to 1991.
Cooper didn’t hold back his thoughts about Luka Doncic. According to Newsweek, the New Mexico alum said, “Luka [Doncic] gives you that triple-double almost [about] 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 … Doesn’t hustle back on defense.”
Cooper isn’t the only person who has criticized Doncic. Despite being one of the best players in the NBA, the Ljubljana, Slovenia, native has been criticized in the past for his hustle and effort, especially on the defensive end of the ball.
A Closer Look At Luka Doncic’s Flaws
Luka Doncic isn’t a perfect player. It’s seeing an imperfect player perfectly for some individuals. The 25-year-old is arguably the most skilled offensive player in today’s NBA, and the statistics can defend the claim. He has been named to the All-NBA Team five times and an NBA All-Star five times, along with leading the NBA in scoring during the 2023-2024 season.
When it comes to defense, Doncic is an average defender at best. The former third-overall pick can hold his own, but often pouts and complains to the officials instead of running back on defense. This was arguably his No. 1 issue during the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, which Michael Cooper disapproved of.
Doncic Can Prove Michael Cooper Wrong
There are two sides to every story. Michael Cooper is entitled to his opinion, while Luka Doncic can prove Cooper wrong in the future. Cooper’s illustrious resume includes being a five-time NBA champion, five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, and three-time NBA All-Defensive Second Teams. The Los Angeles, California, native earned his hardware and honors for eight straight seasons from 1980 to 1988, which gave him the privilege to talk about defense and hustle.
In contrast, Luka Doncic’s resume includes being a five-time NBA All-Star and a five-time All-NBA First Team, but no NBA championship ring. Well, at least not yet. But the superstar guard’s Dallas Mavericks will try to return to the NBA Finals for the 2024-25 NBA season.
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