Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is widely regarded as one of the most talented basketball players in the world. Viewed as a prodigy early on, owing to his professional career beginning at the age of 13, Doncic has gained experience while playing the sport at different levels.
With this in mind, during an interview with the Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay, Doncic shared his thoughts on the difference in approach to training in the USA and Europe. He said:
“They just play and play and don’t practice—they just play games. In Europe, we have a lot of practice and maybe play once a week.”
The Slovenian’s statement highlights the inherently different approach toward training.
In the USA, modern basketball training has been heavily criticized, especially for placing children in specialized coaching and conditioning regimens from a young age. In addition to these programs, children participate in AAU tournaments, a circuit that several former professional athletes have spoken out against.
The impact of this hectic training and playing stands in stark contrast to the European style of training, where developing fundamental skills is made a priority.
The result of this has never been more apparent, as some of the most fundamentally sound and technically gifted players in the NBA today are Europeans. From the likes of Doncic and Nikola Jokic to more athletically gifted stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, there is enough evidence to suggest that the format of training may have an impact on the eventual output.
Both Doncic and his teammate, LeBron James, seem to hold a similar opinion on this matter. During an episode of the “Mind The Game” podcast in June this year, James expressed how exhaustive training from a young age can lead to burnout, potentially stunting the growth of gifted athletes and limiting their avenues for the future.
In many ways, Doncic seems to have blended the two approaches this summer. Given the emphasis on improving his conditioning and fitness over the offseason, the Slovenian reportedly didn’t touch basketball for a month, focusing solely on his physique.
While this could be concerning under most circumstances, especially while ramping up activities for a major tournament, the result of Doncic’s training spoke for itself at EuroBasket.
After a slow start in the warm-up matches, the guard proceeded to dominate the group stages of the main tournament, emerging as the leader in three out of four major statistical categories.
He sustained the form even in the knockout stages, edging out Italy before falling to Germany in the quarterfinals. Overall, he ended the tournament with an average of 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game.
Doncic’s individual brilliance at the EuroBasket has set the precedent for his performance with the Purple and Gold in the upcoming season. With expectations that he can lead the team to a title, Doncic is poised to have a truly special campaign.
