Former NBA player Michael Beasley defended Luka Doncic against ongoing criticism about his conditioning, arguing that it's unfair to label the Lakers star "out of shape" when he's consistently putting up huge numbers.
Luka Doncic might be one of the most gifted offensive players of his generation, but questions around his defense and conditioning have followed him throughout his NBA career.
One of those voices pushing back against the backlash? Former NBA forward Michael Beasley.
“I hate this narrative on Luka, right? It's just something that I'm hearing in the news. I hate this like ‘out of shape’ narrative that I'm hearing,” Beasley said during a recent appearance on Moshe Popack podcast.
“'Cause it's like everybody that's saying he's out of shape is the same ones that's cheering hurrah, hurrah when he's scoring 50 points or 60 points.”
Beasley, a veteran scorer who last suited up for the Lakers in 2019, made it clear: putting up elite numbers in the NBA isn’t possible unless you’re in serious shape.
“In order to score 50, you got to be in shape to shoot 30 shots at least, right? Especially in the NBA,” he continued. “When it works, what shape are we speaking about? It's like you always got to find something bad to say about him. And it's like—why?”
“Like bro, sometimes the other guy was just better and just bust their ass. And just really bust their ass. And it's as simple as that,” he added.
Doncic has carried a heavy offensive load his entire career, including averaging over 20 shot attempts per game across eight NBA seasons.
Rumors of conditioning and locker room concerns surfaced after the trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, sparking debate about whether Dallas Mavericks was right to let go of their franchise cornerstone.
For Beasley, those narratives felt like character attacks, not basketball analysis.
“It’s like, when I’m scoring 50, tell me then to get in shape,” Beasley said. “The second I get a turnover, or the second I don’t win one of the games that you clearly been paying me, now I’m out of shape?”
“That s**t messes up the players' money. And the organizations know what they're doing. That’s not fair.”
Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.