Ex-NBA guard touts Luka Doncic as 'pure market chaos', denies throwing him under the bus

Luka Doncic is going through that phase in his career where arguably every step is scrutinized. Among recent incidents of scrutiny is former Chicago Bulls guard Jay Williams' use of the term 'pure market chaos' to describe Doncic's game.

On Monday, Williams, now a pundit with ESPN, compared the LA Lakers' star and his game to the stock market and the volatile nature of it. His post on X was not generally well received, and fans critiqued the comments, leading the former Bulls guard to elaborate and deny any negative connotation associated with it.

"You don’t need to understand Wall Street to recognize volatility when you see it. Luka’s game is pure market chaos — and I love it," Williams posted on Monday, with a graphic to describe how Doncic's game is perceived by the NBA fans presently.

However, after criticism from fans, particularly shading the ESPN pundit for changing his opinion based on the convenience of a narrative, Williams responded with an explanation of his earlier tweet and stated that he maintains his stand on Doncic's defensive woes and how saying the same out loud does not amount to throwing the All-Star under the bus as a fan had claimed.

"Not sure talking about his defensive challenges is 'throwing him under the bus.' Like I said in the full clip, if his defense has challenges.. then his offense needs to be prolific. My man was prolific yesterday and it deserves to be applauded!," Williams tweeted, referring to Doncic's 30-point game against the OKC Thunder on Sunday.

Williams' comments were also critiqued by fans for his attempt at wit, comparing Doncic's game to the market volatility faced by the US following Donald Trump's implementation of tariffs on imported products.

Jay Williams had previously referred to Luka Doncic as a "less athletic, more skilled" version of LeBron James

Jay Williams' comments from the week are a far cry from his observations about Luka Doncic from the past, where he had showered praise on the then-Dallas Mavericks star, comparing him and labeling him more skilled than LeBron James at the same age.

"Luka Doncic, I have often said that he is a less athletic, but more skilled 20-year-old version of LeBron James." Williams said on ESPN in 2020.

Luka Doncic film study: Why Jay Williams compares him to a young LeBron | NBA on ESPN byu/z3onn inMavericks

Following an NBA finals appeareance in 2024, the five-time All-Star is averaging 27.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.8 steals this season. Alongside James with the LA Lakers, Luka Doncic aims for another deep playoff run.