WhenLuka Doncicwoke up on Friday morning in Los Angeles, the sports world had already decided what he was.
A generational talent who whines too much, defends too little and supposedly lacks the temperament to lead a team to a championship.
Sports talk radio feasted on him like vultures circling a wounded animal.
Across the country, on shows likeESPN’sFirst Take,The Jim Rome Show,andThe Dan Patrick Show,hosts and guests alike leaned into microphones with the smug confidence of men who have never had 30,000 people screaming at them while trying to bend gravity with a basketball.
Luka throwing his arms in the air.
Luka walking away shaking his head.
Luka not getting back on defense.
“He’s not mature enough to win a championship.”
The hot takes piled up like empty beer cups on the floor of a dive bar.
But before theLos Angeles Lakerstipped off against the Indiana Pacers, a familiar voice from Doncic’s past cut through the noise, arriving much louder than his critics. Rick Carlisle — the coach who once watched Luka grow from prodigy to superstar with the Dallas Mavericks — didn’t mince words.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
