Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has been making waves this offseason after videos and photos leaked of his new physique.
He looks noticeably slimmer with more defined muscles, a clear sign that he’s been putting in the work to transform his body ahead of the 2025-26 season. Doncic’s offseason workouts were inspired by Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and the Lakers star hopes to win as many titles as the two Hall of Famers did.
Doncic’s dedication to dieting and exercise comes in the aftermath of his emotional trade from the Dallas Mavericks. Several members of the Dallas organization criticized Doncic for his inability to stay in shape, so this sort of revenge tour was expected.
However, it appears the 26-year-old was going to change his ways no matter what happened this past season, via Dan Woike of The Athletic:
But if you just see a shrinking Dončić, you’re missing the bigger picture. This, the body, the publicity, the determined look in his eyes, the sweat reflecting the spotlights, it’s all part of a bigger plan. That plan, according to some around Dončić, was going to be fulfilled no matter what happened in his pro career. To everyone else, it’s so clearly a response to the humiliation and pain caused by the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to cast him away from the city where he’d planned on spending the entirety of his career.
Doncic’s team initially believed Doncic would learn these things on his own, but injuries slowed down his progress:
Some sources in Dončić’s inner circle believed he was on the path toward this kind of physical transformation whether or not Dallas general manager Nico Harrison had bet against him. Dončić and his management team began working with Maček and Barrio in 2023. One year later, he helped carry the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and immediately followed that by playing for his national team in Slovenia’s failed bid to make the Paris Olympics.
The belief among Dončić’s team was, to some degree, that as he matured as an NBA professional, he’d adopt some better habits and completely buy into a stricter strength and conditioning program instead of the more competition-driven approach he’d been comfortable with. But improvement isn’t always linear, and Dončić suffered a number of physical setbacks in 2024 that certainly made it easier for the Mavericks to explore options other than handing him a blank check mega-extension.
Regardless of what happened in the past, Doncic appears to be heading for a monster season, which would bode well for a Lakers team looking to add another banner to the rafters.
Luka Doncic believes Aaron Judge could play in NBA
Luka Doncic is currently traveling around the country as part of his brand deal with Jordan and recently met with New York Yankees star Aaron Judge. He admitted he was caught off guard by how tall Judge was and believes he could play in the NBA.
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