Luka Doncic understood the assignment this summer after the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a disappointing first-round exit in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The 26-year-old superstar hooper was featured on the cover of Men’s Health and described his approach in the offseason.
“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” he said in his interview. The five-time All-Star reportedly committed to a gluten-free, low-sugar diet that was founded upon intermittent fasting and consuming at least 250 grams of protein daily. In the interview, it was revealed that he contacted his trainer the day after the Lakers were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves and wanted to get to work ASAP.
“Every summer I try my best to work on different things,” he said. “Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.” His physiotherapist, Javier Barrio, revealed that his training surprisingly began devoid of any basketball workouts. Doncic later returned to the hardwood and picked up a basketball in June.
Doncic was part of one of the most shocking trades in NBA history this past February. He was shipped off to Los Angeles in exchange for NBA Champion Anthony Davis. The Dallas Mavericks general manager, Nico Harrison, cited issues with his conditioning and work ethic less than a year removed from the Slovenian guard leading his team to the NBA Finals. They lost in five games to the superteam Boston Celtics, but navigated tough series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Timberwolves.
Doncic was injured at the time of his February trade and ended up playing a career low 50 games between his stints on the Mavericks and Lakers. He still managed to average 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on a 45% field goal percentage and 37% three-point percentage.
With LeBron James at 40 years old, the Lakers’ grabbing Luka was brilliant to maximize LBJ’s time left in the league and secure their future. They added defensive star Marcus Smart and much-needed big man Deandre Ayton over the offseason to improve a roster that boasts the continually improving Austin Reaves, young sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, and versatile big Rui Hachimura. With Luka’s improved physical conditioning, they may return to the mountaintop this upcoming season and make their first NBA Finals since 2020, where they won it all in honor of the late Kobe Bryant, who passed away that January.
