The Lakers are officially riding into the Luka Doncic era. He’s got the keys now, and if his EuroBasket form is any indication, L.A. might be getting the best version of him yet.
Doncic tore through the tournament, averaging 34.7 points, 8.6 boards, 7.1 dimes, and a tournament-best 2.7 steals while logging just over 33 minutes per game. Simply put, he was everywhere.
Still, not everyone’s ready to crown him. Former Laker Byron Scott and ex-NBA vet Olden Polynice pumped the brakes during a chat on Scott’s podcast.
Scott, who both played for and coached the purple and gold, gave props to Luka’s shape but threw in a reminder that numbers aren’t everything.
“Yeah, it looks good on paper,” Scott said (Timestamp: 32:38). “So yeah, right now, he looks good. You know, you’re looking at him like, ‘Luka looks great, he’s ready to go,’ but until you step on that basketball court, you know, you can actually see him go up and down the floor, and then what most of us are gonna say is, ‘let’s see if he plays defense.'”
Polynice wasn’t buying much either. In fact, he questioned whether Luka Doncic’s new slimmer frame is even legit.
“Anybody can run and jump,” Polynice said. “Anybody can look good, anybody can be Photoshopped, even.”
Fair or not, the skepticism comes with Luka’s history. He carried some extra weight last year, and conditioning has been a recurring critique. But while they talk, he’s been hooping — and his new look has matched the production.
Luka Doncic locks into LA life
Off the court, Luka Doncic seems ready to plant roots in California. According to Johnny Askounis of EuroBasket, he just dropped $25 million on Maria Sharapova’s old mansion in Manhattan Beach.
“Adding to a recent three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, the 26-year-old combo guard cemented himself in the city with a new home in Manhattan Beach, located in southwestern Los Angeles,” Askounis reported.
Spending that kind of money is nothing new for NBA stars, but the timing says a lot. Between a fresh deal and buying a spot in L.A., Doncic looks all-in on the Lakers and whatever comes next.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
