Ever since Luka Dončić was traded from the Dallas Mavericks, the questions about his fitness and defense have increased tenfold. Partly because of the excuse general manager Nico Harrison gave for what many believed to be the worst trade in NBA history, the doubts continue to linger.
Whether it is sports media pundits or analysts alike, the aired doubts have become commonplace. Now, former league veterans are also joining the act, as evidenced by Al Harrington. During a podcast appearance, the 16-year NBA veteran called out the Slovenian prodigy, specifically for his fitness level.
Al Harrington Makes Woefully Uninformed Claim About Luka Dončić
Making an appearance on Sloane Knows, the basketball podcast hosted by 17-year-old superfan Sloane, Harrington spoke on a wide variety of topics. But with the Dončić trade among the biggest news of the entire season, Sloane asked him about his thoughts on the player.
Unfortunately, his opinion was none too kind. “My concern is always at the end of the season, he kind of flames out just because one, it’s a long season, and two, if you’re not taking care of yourself along the way when it gets to the playoffs, it becomes so intense and the games are like every other day.”
It is a complaint that many people have had against him. But nothing, whether it is the raw statistics or the eye test, backs his claim. Drafted in 2018, Dončić is right up there on the list of most competitive games played between his consistent playoff appearances and suiting up for Slovenia in the summers.
Additionally, with career playoff averages of 30.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, while logging over 39 minutes in 55 career games, he is already among the greatest playoff performers of all time.
Harrington, on his end, carried on, even calling into question the next contract that might come his way. “It just becomes a different kind of demand on your body. It could be concerning, especially if you’re sitting there thinking about paying him $400 million.”
But with a Conference Finals and a Finals appearance already under his belt, Dončić has one of the most stacked resumes for his age group already. A five-time All-Star and first-team All-NBA, he has already eclipsed all-time greats like Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving in the latter department.
The doubt for the former Indiana Pacers star, though, arises from his own experiences of dealing with Europe-born NBA players. “I had a bunch of teammates, they get here and they come in, they weigh 180 pounds and then by the time we get done with the season, they’re like 210. And it’s just because they found cookies and they found ice cream.”
He believes the 2024 NBA scoring champion might have had a similar curve, leading to his assumptions. While a 16-year veteran who was a dominant power forward at the height of the position’s importance in the league is certainly entitled to his opinion, the facts could not be further from the truth.
