Lakers insider Jovan Buha defended Luka Doncic against weight criticism, stating that concerns about his fitness have been exaggerated: “The dude’s not fat.”
The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history by landing 25-year-old Luka Doncic. However, questions about his weight and conditioning continue to follow him — even among Lakers fans.
| MIN: | 34.42 |
| PTS: | 26.73 (52.79%) |
| REB: | 8.19 |
| As: | 7.5 |
| ST: | 1.92 |
| BL: | 0.42 |
| TO: | 3.38 |
| GM: | 26 |
In a recent Q&A session, Lakers insider Jovan Buha was asked if Doncic reminds him of Kobe Bryant in slow motion: a player you see but can’t catch.
“I think the Luka fat stuff has gotten a little out of control. The dude’s not fat,” Buha said on his podcast.
“Is he carrying some extra weight? Is he maybe not in the best shape or the best physical form compared to other NBA athletes? Sure. But I feel like there’s this notion that he’s obese, and I don’t agree with that, I don’t see it,” Buha added.
Following the trade, Doncic faced harsh criticism from Dallas Mavericks majority owner Patrick Dumont, who questioned his work ethic. “If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us,” Dumont said, hinting at concerns about Luka’s conditioning.
Credit ATP – Scanpix
In fact, Doncic’s fitness reportedly played a key role in Dallas’ decision to move on from their franchise star. The team was so concerned about his shape that they gave him extra time to regain form, officially listing his November five-game absence as a wrist injury.
Buha previously noted that players rarely reach peak form during the season and that Doncic can improve without needing a full offseason of conditioning.
Since joining the Lakers, the Slovenian star has averaged 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists over four games, with the team going 2-2 in that stretch.
Doncic was eligible to sign a $345 million supermax extension with Dallas this summer, but The Athletic reported that the team never planned to offer it.
