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Ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith criticized Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic for what he described as a failure in leadership, citing the guard’s ongoing struggles with conditioning.
During Friday’s episode of First Take, Smith responded to whether Doncic has a leadership issue, following earlier comments made by Magic Johnson on Get Up.
“Yes, I do,” Smith said. “I think that any leader, any champion, would tell you, if the issue involving you is that you’re not in shape, if conditioning is a question mark, that’s lacking leadership. There’s no way around it.”
Stephen A. Smith says Luka Doncic’s conditioning issues reflect poor leadership
Smith elaborated on the issue by pointing to past champions who maintained a high standard of physical readiness, even while acknowledging past criticisms between stars such as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.
“There were times that my man Kobe was getting on Shaq because [of] too many damn Big Macs and Shaq wasn’t in prime, prime condition,” Smith said. “But what Shaq would tell you is that not only am I in shape, I’m not concerned about the Sacramento Queens, for example, and stuff like that. And then [he’d] go out there and dominate and show you, don’t worry about his conditioning, he’s going to handle his business.”
Smith emphasized that elite-level athletes in demanding sports cannot afford to fall short physically, especially those still chasing their first championship.
“I have never ever in any sport encountered somebody that said you could lead [without being in shape],” Smith said. “You don’t have a problem with winning if you ain’t in shape because fatigue makes cowards of us all, we all know this.”
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He continued, “When you are a great player devoid of a championship, and people are looking at you and your conditioning is a factor… you can’t be positively maximizing your talent… because the fatigue compromises your ability to maximize it. You can’t do it. So, I would tell you that’s a leadership issue.”
Doncic’s conditioning progress comes as Lakers target frontcourt help this summer
Doncic, 26, joined the Lakers midseason and played 28 games during the 2024–25 regular season. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 43.8% shooting from the field and 37.9% from three-point range.
In Los Angeles’ five-game first-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Doncic increased his output to 30.2 points per game while playing over 41 minutes per contest.
Despite the early playoff exit, Doncic has reportedly taken strides in improving his physical condition ahead of the 2025–26 campaign. A recent video posted to social media showed the five-time All-Star undergoing offseason workouts and appearing noticeably leaner.
Doncic’s conditioning had previously been a topic of concern during his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks. Some league insiders have speculated that this issue played a role in the organization’s decision to trade him following the team’s 2024 Finals appearance.
The Lakers, coming off a 50-win season under head coach JJ Redick, are expected to pursue veteran frontcourt help this offseason. The team has been linked to centers including Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Kevon Looney, and Al Horford.
