Shaq Had Great Line About ‘Fat Luka’ Being Better Than Most NBA Guards

The Hall of Fame center faced similar criticisms regarding his conditioning throughout his career.

Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal had a great line about Luka Doncic's conditioning. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

As the fallout of the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis swap continues, NBA on TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal was asked about the criticisms that Doncic has faced about his conditioning in the wake of the stunning trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.

O'Neal, who faced similar critiques regarding his conditioning throughout his career, was dismissive of any reporting around Doncic's conditioning that was meant to excuse the trade that seems inexplicable to many around the league.

"It wasn't really a chip on my shoulder because I didn't work out during the summer," O'Neal said candidly. "I had other obligations. Family, children...and I wanted to work my way into shape. That was my method. It worked for me. There are a lot of so-called methods of how to get it done, but you come in shape, become a first-ballot Hall of Famer, you win three championships in a row. That's your way. I did it my way and I'm happy with the way I did it."

"Fat Luka is better than 99.9% of all guards in the league"

Shaq on what a friend told him regarding the conditioning reports around Luka 😅 pic.twitter.com/SPdKduZSrU

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 5, 2025

As O'Neal turned the conversation back to Doncic, he pushed back on the idea that the new Lakers star is out of shape, while adding a great line that a friend of his said to him.

"He doesn't look out of shape to me," O'Neal added. "I need to know what the term...when you say 'out of shape' is it fat? Does he have a six-pack? Are we talking body fat? Because one of my best friends just told me 'Fat Luka is better than 99.9% of all the guards in the game.' So in shape Luka? Five years, first-team All-NBA. Fat Luka or this out of shape Luka? First-team All-NBA five years. So if that's the case and [the Mavericks] let him go, I would definitely blame management because there's better ways to handle that."

There's very little doubt that Doncic is one of the best players in the world at just 25 years old. While Shaq thinks over the next two years the Mavericks won the trade, it's clear at the outset that the Lakers may have the upper-hand for the long-haul. Doncic is a generational offensive talent and he's yet to enter his prime, making this an easy trade for the Lakers to make.

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