"Six pack, not a case" - Shannon Sharpe wants Luka Doncic to cut down on beer and hookah consumption during the season
The spotlight is on LA Lakers star Luka Doncic’s conditioning, as fans continue to monitor his physical transformation in his first offseason since being traded from the Dallas Mavericks, a move reportedly motivated in part by concerns about his fitness.
During Saturday’s episode of the “Nightcap” podcast, hosts Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and former NBA All-Star Joe Johnson weighed in on the conversations surrounding Doncic’s body.
Sharpe, in particular, offered the Slovenian guard some blunt advice.
“How about this — six-pack, not a case,” he said (4:39 mark). “That's all I'm saying. Get you a nice little six-pack; leave, don't do the case.
“The hookah, man. don't get the big thing of hookah, get a little bit of hookah, you know what I'm saying? Don't get the one that, like, six to eight people can get on it.”
Luka Doncic has long faced scrutiny over his conditioning, including a moment after the Mavericks’ 2023 Western Conference finals win when Dallas assistant GM Michael Finley was seen taking away a beer from him. Fans even nicknamed him “Hookah Doncic” due to his reported habits.
Magic Johnson: Luka Doncic must lead and stay in shape
Shannon Sharpe’s comments came as Lakers legend Magic Johnson addressed Luka Doncic's situation on ESPN’s First Take, urging the star to take personal responsibility.
“We shouldn’t have to tell you to be in shape, you should have been about that, especially when you’re a superstar,” Johnson said. “So this is gonna be an important year for the Lakers, important offseason for the Lakers.”
Johnson added that Luka Doncic's past success in Dallas won’t be enough in LA.
"Luka, it's great what you did in Dallas, but the difference is, in Los Angeles, we expect championships,” Johnson said. “And we expect our superstars to lead us to a championship. LeBron has already did that. Now we want Luka to do the same thing."
He also emphasized the need for the Lakers’ front office to strengthen the roster.
"It's gonna take more than just Luka being in shape. Rob Pelinka gotta improve the roster. We need a big man, so hopefully, we'll be able to get a big man during this offseason. I think we must improve the bench as well, and Rob will have a chance to do that as well.”
The Lakers are reportedly preparing for an aggressive offseason, aiming to make moves via trade and free agency. They are expected to leverage a first-round pick and expiring contracts from Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber to reshape the roster.