Much has been made of Luka Doncic’s physical transformation this offseason. The Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar guard was noticeably slimmer and looks to be in the best shape of his career. And that was on full display in his performance at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.
Representing his country of Slovenia, Doncic was arguably the best player of the entire tournament and led his team to the quarterfinals where they nearly upset eventual champion Germany. But it wasn’t just Luka’s play that stood out, but also his overall energy and activity.
Doncic admittedly felt different during EuroBasket, particularly noting the improvement in overall conditioning and being less fatigued, something that is very important for him heading into his first full season with the Lakers.
Luka Doncic says he felt "way less tired" and "a little quicker" during EuroBasket after his body transformation.
"Fatigue is the biggest thing for me."
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) September 29, 2025
Doncic has always been a big minutes player in the NBA, averaging more than 35 minutes per game in each of the last four seasons. And that has risen in the playoffs where he has regularly averaged more than 40 minutes per game, including his run to the NBA Finals in 2024 with the Dallas Mavericks.
Now with this improved conditioning, Doncic ideally will be even more effective, especially late in games when the Lakers need him most. It should also help him defensively where he can be more active and come up with more takeaways, which was also on display at EuroBasket where he led the entire tournament in steals.
There will be a lot of pressure on Luka to deliver in his first full season with the Lakers and with the work he has put in this offseason, he has put himself in position to come through and lead this team to a strong season.
Lakers coach JJ Redick believes Luka Doncic is committed to maintaining body transformation
Getting into this level of shape was extremely important for Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, but it will be equally important to maintain this as he moves forward, something Lakers coach JJ Redick believes he is committed to doing.
“This is his life, this is his routine, this is just a daily commitment to the new standard that he set for himself. His excitement level, not just in what he hopes the season will be, but his excitement level in embracing this new standard was very high.
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