Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is one of the most unstoppable forces in the NBA today, but Shaquille O’Neal can’t understand why. On the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, O’Neal spoke about hating on Doncic and wondered why the Slovenian is almost unguardable.
“I used to hate on Luka for the longest,” O’Neal said. “Then I seen him play live. I know he’s really that good, but how come people can’t stop him… He’s not really fast, he don’t have a lot of life, but he be busting everybody up.”
You don’t necessarily need to see Doncic in action in person to realize he is truly special, but that is what it took for O’Neal to come to that realization. While you do wonder why he would even look down on the 26-year-old in the first place, he has at least seen the light now.
Doncic has been great almost ever since he stepped foot in the NBA. His career scoring average of 28.9 points in the regular season ranks third in NBA history behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. He has risen to the occasion in the playoffs as well, with his career average of 30.9 points ranking second to Jordan.
Doncic is currently averaging 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Lakers in 2025-26. The five-time All-Star is leading the league in scoring, and teams have had no answer for him on most nights.
Doncic dominates despite not being the fastest or jumping the highest, which confuses O’Neal. He saw the likes of Jordan and Allen Iverson rack up scoring titles during his career, thanks, in part, to those traits.
So, how does Doncic do it? Well, first of all, his basketball IQ is off the charts. He reads the game extremely well, and that helps him stay one step ahead of the defender. Secondly, Doncic is just extremely skilled. He can score from just about anywhere on the court and has incorporated moves like the stepback to ensure he has a solution to whatever problem is put in front of him.
Thirdly, Doncic may not be fast, but he is still able to play at his own pace, and you cannot speed him up. He is stronger than you might think and knows how to use his body. Doncic also has an understanding of the angles he needs to take to make life difficult for defenders. Put all this together, and you get a scoring machine.
Doncic came into this season in the best shape that he had been in for years as well, and that has certainly helped him score at this ridiculous rate. If he keeps this up, he’ll be just the third player after Kobe Bryant and James Harden to average at least 35 points per game in a season in the 21st century.
We’ll get to see Doncic in action next when the Lakers take on the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday at 8 PM ET. Expect another big scoring night for him against the Suns.
