Luka Doncic is coming off a humbling season after unexpectedly getting traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the aftermath of the blockbuster deal, the Mavericks made it clear that they didn’t think Luka’s work ethic and conditioning were good enough to build around him long-term.
Then after a first-round playoff exit, Doncic was again the subject of a lot of scrutiny for his poor defense and conditioning against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It appears Doncic took all of that criticism to heart as he showed up to Real Madrid’s basketball game on Sunday and looked like he was in great shape. Reports then came out from Slovenia that Doncic is using this offseason to transform his body and get in better shape.
One Lakers player who knows Luka better than anyone is Markieff Morris after playing with him in Dallas and coming over in the trade. Morris appeared on ESPN’s First Take on Monday morning and defended Doncic while reacting to the photos that emerged on Sunday:
“That’s my guy, Luka. Like Stephen A. said, that regiment in the season you would think we’re in better shape because of the season, but when you’re eating hotel food, you’re getting in at 3 o’clock in the morning in different cities, you have to eat at 4 o’clock in the morning with a back-to-back. All that stuff takes a toll on your body. The stress of being in a long season, the stress of being traded mid-season. It’s just the things he went through last year. He’s back in Madrid, I know how he likes Madrid, we were in Madrid last year with the team. He’s back in his environment, he’s having a great time, and right now I don’t even think he’s worried about anything. I just think he’s happy this season is over. I don’t think he’s happy how this season ended, but I think he’s happy it’s over. He’s going to regroup. Like Stephen A. said, when you’re in the summer, you’re eating that good food, you got that regiment, you got that chef, anything is possible when it comes to losing weight.”
Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA and that doesn’t happen without a strong work ethic. With him being called into question though, it’s nice to see someone like Morris who was in the gym with Doncic every day this past season come to his defense.
It remains to be seen how Doncic will look when training camp rolls around, but all indications are that he is off to a great start to the summer and should continue improving his conditioning as time goes on.
NBA rookies give Luka Doncic more motivation
As if Luka Doncic wasn’t motivated enough going into the offseason, a video recently emerged of 2025 NBA Draft prospects picking between the Lakers star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards. All of them had Doncic ranked last, which is certainly recency bias but also the reality of where things stand for the Slovenian guard coming off the season he had.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
