Luka Doncic is now the face of the Los Angeles Lakers, and while fans are still excited to have him aboard, the honeymoon will soon be over.
Greatness and championships will soon be expected of him, and in all likelihood, fans won’t be satisfied with his Lakers tenure unless he delivers at least a few championships. The good news is, he has gotten into much better shape this offseason by undergoing a physical transformation, and as long as he keeps up his new health and fitness regimen, it should give him and the Lakers more opportunities to bring home more hardware.
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Derek Fisher is someone who would know about winning such hardware. He won five NBA titles during his time with the Purple and Gold, and he said during an appearance on ESPN 710 LA that Doncic needs to maintain the right habits for many years to come in order to make the most of his stint with the Lakers.
“The responsibility is, it’s hard to describe. My shoes were never the size of Luka’s, in terms of really carrying the franchise into the next iteration and generation. I think the biggest thing is being a champion. While Lakers fans and the organization are always going to go for it every season, for Luka and guys that look like they’re going to be here for multiple years, you still have to have the willingness to play the long game. Right? You’re looking to win now, but your habits have to last for a decade.”
Lakers fans have been spoiled by greats such as Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and championships have long been the standard by which the franchise and its superstars have been measured. Doncic has demonstrated his ability to elevate his team beyond the sum of its parts, and it could result in some tremendous success for him as the years go by.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Derek Fisher’s advice to Luka Doncic as new face of Lakers