Luka Doncic on the criticism that he is slow

Although Luka Doncic has been a phenomenal NBA player over the last several years, he has recently gotten a good deal of criticism. Much of it has centered around his subpar fitness and conditioning, as well as the fact that he is pudgy and has trouble staying in front of his man defensively.

One reason for his defensive shortcomings is his lack of speed and quickness, which could be partly attributed to his lack of fitness. But overall, Doncic has never been a speed demon.

He was a guest on the latest episode of the "Mind the Game" podcast, which is co-hosted by LeBron James and Steve Nash. Nash brought up the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are heading to the NBA Finals thanks to a young, deep and athletic cast, and he asked Doncic about his speed, or lack thereof.

The superstar gave an interesting response.

"I have speed, I just don't show it," Doncic answered.

“I have speed, I just don’t show it.”

- Luka Doncic

(🎥 @mindthegamepod / h/t @LakersBetter )

pic.twitter.com/6BRVUKJJaw— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 1, 2025

There have been videos of Doncic from the 2018-19 season, when he was a rookie, posted on social media lately, and he displayed more speed and quickness back then. Since he has apparently already slimmed down this offseason, the hope appears to be that improving his fitness and conditioning heading into next season will make him quicker on both ends of the floor.

According to at least one report, Doncic has changed his mindset and actions as far as taking care of his body.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic on the criticism that he is slow