“He’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him” : Lakers legend criticizes Luka Doncic as a potential replacement for LeBron James

LeBron James is currently about to enter in his 22nd season in the NBA, and yet, he is still not showing any signs of slowing down just yet. The 39-year-old averaged 25.7 ppg last season, and has been performing this consistently over the last two decades in the NBA.

The NBA all-time scoring leader will also create a different kind of history than he usually does, when he teams up with his own son, Bronny James Jr. in the Lakers next season. But eventually, James’s time will run out and he will soon leave the court, and it is up to the LA Lakers to come up with a good solution for the long term.

It is quite impossible to ‘replace’ LeBron James, but if recent rumours come up to be true, then the California-based franchise is not far off. Recently, The Ringer’s journalist Kevin O’Connor claimed that the LA Lakers have considered the option of 25-year-old Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.

This may not come as a surprise, as the Slovenian has consistently been one of the best scorers in the NBA for the past few years, and considering his age, he will not be stopping anytime soon. O’Connor also put up the argument that the Lakers will have more than enough salary cap left after James decides to retire.

“He’s lazy” : Michael Cooper does not hold back on Luka Doncic

Not everyone was excited to hear this news, as Lakers legend Michael Cooper had some harsh words to say about the Slovenian’s game.

“He’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy. Doesn’t hustle back on defense,” said the 68-year-old (via Showtime with Coop).

Cooper won five championships with the Lakers in the 12 years he was there, from 1978 to 1990, so the experienced coach’s statement may have some truth in it. Although, fans on social media did not care for the veteran’s opinion as the majority believe Luka Doncic is the right replacement for the Lakers, at least based on his current form.

The 25-year-old has been averaging over 30 ppg from the past two seasons, and was also the league’s top scorer the previous season. But his consistency has been remarkably high ever since joining the league from Real Madrid, as he was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019, in addition to being in the All-NBA team and NBA All Star five times. The California franchise desperately need a new superstar in their team, and if we can look past his defensive record, the Slovenian may well be the perfect fit to replace the ‘King’.

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