A huge reason why the Los Angeles Lakers became one of the favorites to win the championship was, of course, Luka Doncic’s midseason trade. The 26-year-old point guard arrived in Southern California after what was an earth-shattering move from the Dallas Mavericks. This sets up the Purple & Gold with a young superstar to build their team around after LeBron James is all set and done. However, despite a stellar season in a Lakers uniform, the campaign ended in disappointment. Since then, Doncic has been receiving a lot of heat.

In case you’re not aware, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison stated that the franchise moved him due to concerns over his conditioning and defensive consistency. Getting in shape has been something that Lakers head coach JJ Redick also emphasized after their early exit from the postseason. Now, the latest person to critique Doncic’s conditioning and leadership is ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. “If the issue involving you is that you’re not in shape, if conditioning is a question mark, that’s lacking leadership,” Smith said

“I have never encountered any champion that says it’s OK to be out of shape.” Indeed, many would agree that we do not hear champions say that you can make it to the top despite being out of shape. However, it’s the timing of Smith’s comments that’s bugging the hoops community, including some Insiders. You see, the ESPN journalist devoted an entire episode to Luka Doncic and his leadership issues, which wouldn’t have been a cause for worry on any other day. But he did that when there was an NBA Finals Game 4 tonight.

This episode not only raised a few eyebrows among fans, but Jason Gallagher, the Emmy-winning director, also posted a sarcastic tweet on X. “Game 4 of the NBA Finals is tonight lol,” Gallagher wrote, along with a screenshot of the show’s thumbnail. Soon, it also caught the eye of a senior LA Lakers Insider, Anthony F. Irwin, who re-posted Gallagher’s tweet with his own twist. “It has to be a bit.” He wrote. It’s safe to say the two Insiders were not pleased with Stephen A. Smith’s journalism.

However, neither were the fans, as they expressed their frustration with ESPN and Stephen A. Smith. “Am I the only one tired of these nonsensical hot takes from Stephen A.?” One fan wrote. He stated that he was frustrated by Smith’s wild takes week in and week out. It shows how done the fans are with this type of reporting, as this fan wasn’t the only one who shared his true feelings.

Stephen A. Smith’s newest take on Luka Doncic leaves fans frustrated

Stephen A. Smith and his controversial takes are not something new to the NBA world. However, this time it seems to have crossed the line because the ESPN reporter chose to focus on Luka Doncic’s conditioning instead of talking about the NBA Finals. This sparked angry reactions from fans all over the world. “Do you think Luka’s Leadership will help him win Game 4 tonight?” A user questioned sarcastically. He took a dig at Smith’s untimely reporting, suggesting that ESPN should be focusing on the teams that are competing for the championship.

via Imago

Meanwhile, another fan decided to take a subtle shot at Stephen A. Smith. “Rent free,” he commented, suggesting that Luka Doncic lives rent-free in the ESPN reporter’s head. Another fan echoed a similar opinion. “When/why did Luka become the media’s most hated player?” He questioned. Indeed, lately, the 26-year-old point guard is getting a lot of attention and not for the right reasons. Of course, this comes with his move to LA. However, he’s coming off a stellar campaign and is hitting the gym during the offseason.

So, is it necessary? Of course not.

However, it seems to be racking up views for some reason. A fan pointed that out exactly. “Expert attention baiters. It’s rooted in their business model. Don’t give it to them.” He said. The user broke down ESPN and Stephen A. Smith’s alleged strategy, as he accused them of clickbaiting their audience and urged fans not to fall for it.

It seems that the fans are frustrated with Smith’s negative comments on Luka Doncic, especially when the reporting should be around the NBA Finals. Will this public outrage force a change? We’ll have to wait and see.