Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has revealed a remarkable transformation during the 2025 offseason, one that goes deeper than just shedding weight.
Fresh off a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Lakers, Doncic also made headlines for his dramatic physical change, unveiled in a Men’s Health magazine cover story titled “Luka Doncic 2.0 Has Entered the Chat.”
Now sporting a leaner frame after reportedly losing 31 pounds since the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit, Doncic detailed the disciplined approach behind the transformation.
He adopted a high-protein, low-sugar, gluten-free diet, along with intermittent fasting and grueling two-a-day workouts. While many speculated this was a form of revenge against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, for trading him midseason, Doncic offered a much simpler explanation rooted in timing and planning.
The real motivation behind the shift
During a press conference in Slovenia as he prepared to join the national team for EuroBasket 2025, Doncic downplayed the speculation and emphasized his practical approach.
“There were always some questions about my physical fitness,” he said. “But I think I was a great basketball player before. What drove me? Basically, we made a slightly different plan, and I also had a little more time.”
According to Doncic, last offseason left little room for recovery. He played into June during the NBA Playoffs, then jumped straight into Olympic qualifiers. Fatigue set in, leaving no window to recalibrate. This summer, however, he finally had a breather and used it wisely.
Despite past criticism of his conditioning, Doncic has long proven himself among the league’s elite. In the 2023-24 NBA season, he led the league in scoring, averaging 33.9 points over 70 games and guiding Dallas to the NBA Finals. After being traded to the Lakers in early 2025, he quickly established himself as the face of the franchise, averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in just 28 games.
Now, with the Lakers fully committed to him and fans buzzing about an MVP-caliber season, Doncic remains grounded.
“I don’t know if it will be any different now,” he admitted. “I’ve only had two practices with the team and one five-on-five game. I haven’t played since my last NBA game, so we’ll see.”
While the results remain to be seen on the court, one thing is clear – Doncic has entered the new season focused, refreshed, and fully locked in to lead the Purple and Gold into a new era.
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