Luka Doncic appears to be taking the concerns about his weight seriously this offseason, but one Los Angeles Lakers legend believes there is one other area where the five-time All-Star needs to focus more of his attention.
Robert Horry, who won three of his seven NBA titles with the Lakers, was asked during a Tuesday appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” about the ongoing talk regarding Doncic’s weight and conditioning. Horry said he is far less concerned about Doncic’s weight than he is about the former Rookie of the Year’s defensive effort.
“I don’t care about his weight. You need to get him in the gym and teach him how to play defense,” Horry said. “You know, that’s the thing, because you can give someone 40 points, but if you’re giving up 35 on the other end, those 40 points don’t mean anything.”
Horry, who currently works as a commentator for Spectrum SportsNet, believes Doncic has to “want to play defense.”
“He gets blown by and they’re getting layups. If you watch stretches of games where Luka just stayed in front, because he’s a big body, offensive players are bouncing off him if he stays in front,” Horry added. “He needs to want to play defense, because so many times he saves his energy for the offensive side.”
Dan Patrick Show:
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 8, 2025
Laker Legend Robert Horry: "I don't care about his (Luka) weight. You need to get him in a gym and teach him how to play Defense. You know, that's the thing because you can give someone 40 points, but if you're giving up 35 on the other end, those 40 points… pic.twitter.com/CONxCvknxA
Doncic seems to be fully committed to slimming down before his first full season with the Lakers. He is said to have dropped a significant amount of weight and looked shockingly skinny in a recent photo with a fan.
Even Lakers head coach J.J. Redick has challenged Doncic to get into better shape.
While being in better shape should benefit Doncic, Horry emphasized that it will not solve everything. The way Horry sees it, Doncic’s explosiveness on the offensive end proves that he is capable of sticking with players on the defensive end.
Ideally, the Lakers would like to see a bit of both. If Doncic gets into better shape and dedicates time to improving his defense, he will be an even greater asset in L.A.
