Tracing the discussion around Luka Doncic's weight as critics around his fitness remain

Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic has had an incredible start to his NBA career.

Over his first five seasons, Doncic has averaged 27.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.8 3-pointers per game on 46.3% shooting. However, that hasn’t stopped critics from nitpicking at the young star’s greatness.

One of the biggest gripes that critics have had is in regards to Luka Doncic’s weight. Doncic reportedly came into the NBA as a rookie in 2018 weighing 230 pounds. He then appeared to put on weight in 2020, which led to criticism from fans and the media that his conditioning was holding him back.

Then in December 2021, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that Doncic showed up to training camp weighing 260 pounds for the second consecutive year. The Mavs star reportedly took three weeks off after competing with Slovenia at the Olympics during the 2021 offseason.

Luka Doncic was even called out by NBA legend-turned-TNT analyst Reggie Miller for his weight in late 2021. Miller said Doncic was "plodding up and down the court" and "has got to trim down."

Doncic addressed the controversy at the time by agreeing that he needed to get in better shape.

"I had a long summer," Doncic said.

"I had the Olympics, took three weeks off, and I relaxed a little bit. Maybe too much. I've just got to get back on track. I know I've got to do better."

Doncic proceeded to cut his weight down to 240 pounds in January 2022, shortly after the report about his weight made headlines. However, his weight has remained a topic of conversation since.

While playing for Slovenia at EuroBasket 2022, Luka Doncic was asked what he thought about those who constantly criticized his weight. Doncic dismissed his critics, saying that if he listened to them, he wouldn’t be able to do anything he enjoys.

"If I would care, what people say I wouldn't hang out at all, I wouldn't be here so. I don't mind at all," Doncic said.

He then proceeded to make headlines for looking significantly slimmer entering this season.

As of now, Luka Doncic is listed at 230 pounds by NBA.com and is in the middle of the best season of his career.

Doncic is averaging 33.6 points, 8.7 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 2.9 3-pointers per game on 50.6% shooting through 32 games. He also just became the first player in NBA history to record a 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double on Tuesday versus the New York Knicks.

So, at least for now, Doncic’s weight does not appear to be holding him back in any way.

For Tim MacMahon’s full 2021 report on Doncic’s weight, click here.

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NBA analyst believes Luka Doncic will eventually surpass LeBron James in all-time points if he maintains his conditioning

NBA stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic

As for just how good Luka Doncic can be, one NBA analyst thinks he can eventually become the league’s all-time leading scorer.

The Ringers’ Bill Simmons recently spoke on his podcast about how LA Lakers star forward LeBron James should not get too complacent. James is expected to pass the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer later this season.

He is at 37,813 career points while Abdul-Jabbar’s record is 38,387 career points. However, Simmons thinks that James may need to give himself a sizeable cushion in first place to hold off Doncic in the future.

“He’s (Doncic) over 8,000 points now. He’s 23 years old. By the end of this season, he’ll be pretty close to 10,000 assuming he doesn’t get hurt,” Simmons said.

“LeBron, after five years, was 10,689. He had had two first-team All-NBAs, two second-teams. Luka already has three first-team All-NBAs. Man, LeBron better keep playing. Don’t wrap it up after you get to 38,000 'cause I don’t know what Luka is capable of.”

However, Simmons added that Luka Doncic may have to take better care of his body to match LeBron James’ longevity. James is currently in year 20 and has averaged 27.1 points per game over his illustrious career.

“I think the difference for him (Doncic) potentially versus LeBron is how is he gonna take care of his body. LeBron took care of his body always, always. … His durability and his strength has been one of his calling cards. … I don’t know about Luka,” Simmons said.

“After the incredible game [vs. the Knicks], he joked about he was gonna get a recovery beer. At some point, he’s gonna have to give up all that stuff and any bad food. … He might not be wired that way and that might be what made LeBron slightly different than almost anybody else.”

Luka Doncic’s weight and lifestyle choices may not be holding him back now at age 23. However, as Simmons explained, they may start catching up to him in the future.

It will be interesting for NBA fans to see how Doncic’s conditioning progresses throughout the rest of his career. Likewise, it will be fascinating to see if the Dallas Mavericks star can ascend even higher and reach another level.

For more on Bill Simmons' comments, click here.