After JJ Redick seemingly called Luka Dončić out for being out of shape, Skip Bayless relished the opportunity to call the Los Angeles Lakers superstar fat.
During his exit interview after getting knocked out of the playoffs, Lakers’ head coach Redick noted some of his players needed to get in better shape this offseason.
“There are individuals that are in phenomenal shape. There are certainly others who could have been in better shape. We have to get in championship shape,” Redick said.
Redick may not have said the name “Luka Dončić,” but everyone knew who he was talking about. And Redick may not have called Luka Dončić fat, but Skip Bayless knew that’s what he was talking about.
“So I ask you, Mavericks’ fans, do you miss Luka’s double chin?” Bayless asked after reading Redick’s quote about championship shape. “Do you miss that spare tire that he keeps around his midsection? Because I’m not sure Laker Nation would miss it if it were gone.”
Laker Nation might not miss Dončić’s midsection, but they would certainly miss him. If Bayless is truly asking whether Dallas would like to receive the weight Redick is imploring Dončić to lose this offseason, the answer is obviously no. But if he’s asking whether they would like to have Dončić back, double chins and all, the answer is probably yes.
Since the Mavericks shipped Dončić off to Los Angeles for a trade package centered around Anthony Davis, Bayless has insisted Dallas got the better end of the deal. And after the Lakers failed to win more than one playoff game this postseason, Bayless claimed they should consider trading Dončić back to Dallas for Davis. Obviously, that’s not going to happen.
But Bayless making fun of Dončić’s weight does beg the question of whether Redick made the right decision by going public with his “championship shape” comment. Say what you want about Bayless’s affinity for name-calling professional athletes, but Redick really set Dončić up for this one. And based on the way Dončić whines to officials and battles with fans during games, he doesn’t seem like someone who will take kindly to having his head coach open that door.