Luka Doncic<\/a>\u2019s improved fitness. \u201cWhen you see him having lost this weight, you get excited,\u201d he said. A leaner Luka brings not just better mobility, but the potential for increased defensive presence and off-ball movement.Still, Stephen A. Smith wasn\u2019t letting go of his signature skepticism: \u201cThere\u2019s a difference between getting in shape in the offseason and staying in shape during the season\u2026 That\u2019s where it\u2019s going to really, really show.\u201dHe emphasized that Luka Doncic\u2019s ability to sustain this transformation over the full NBA grind remains unproven. The Hollywood appearances and magazine spreads may draw attention, but the real test will be consistency\u2014something Smith feels Doncic hasn\u2019t mastered yet.<\/p>\nA New Chapter in Lakers Leadership<\/p>\n
Beyond the stats, Smith\u2019s focus shifted to leadership and legacy. He reminded fans that being a Laker comes with intense media attention and constant comparisons to legends of the past. It\u2019s a stage that amplifies both greatness and shortcomings.Luka Doncic, Stephen A. Smith said, must now grow as a leader. This extension isn\u2019t just about points and highlights\u2014it\u2019s about stepping into a role that demands responsibility, vocal leadership, and the maturity to guide a team through the highs and lows of a season.Stephen A. Smith\u2019s reaction to Luka Doncic\u2019s contract extension strikes a familiar balance: enthusiasm tempered with realism. While he sees tremendous potential in the deal, he\u2019s clear that the Lakers\u2019 gamble on Doncic will only pay off if the star embraces everything that comes with the jersey\u2014from conditioning and defense to leadership and championship expectations.Also read: Rob Pelinka Reflects on Luka Doncic Trade and Contract Extension: A Franchise-Defining Gamble That Paid Off<\/a>\u201cLet\u2019s see what the brother does now,\u201d Smith concluded. The money is in the bank. The spotlight is on. Now, it\u2019s Luka\u2019s move.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic’s New Contract Gets Reaction from Stephen A. Smith (Image Credit: Getty Images)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":209933,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3790],"tags":[7,4034,1698,300,4044,251,150,13006,4033,4043,33824,36975,6,36974,36973],"class_list":{"0":"post-209932","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-lakers","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-la","10":"tag-la-lakers","11":"tag-lakers","12":"tag-lalakers","13":"tag-los-angeles","14":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","15":"tag-los-angeles-lakers-news","16":"tag-losangeles","17":"tag-losangeleslakers","18":"tag-luka-doncic-contract-extension","19":"tag-luka-doncic-fitness-improvement","20":"tag-nba","21":"tag-nba-contract-extensions","22":"tag-stephen-a-smith-reaction"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/114962446719352016","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=209932"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209932\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"What](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/123070794.jpg\" "\\"Los")
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic’s New Contract Gets Reaction from Stephen A. Smith (Image Credit: Getty Images) Luka Doncic\u2019s three-year, $165 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers sent shockwaves through the NBA world. But few reactions were as compelling\u2014or as critical\u2014as that of ESPN\u2019s Stephen A. Smith. Known for his sharp opinions and no-nonsense delivery, Smith offered a nuanced take on the Lakers\u2019 decision to secure their future around the 25-year-old Slovenian star.<\/p>\n