Luka Doncic clearly heard the slander regarding his fitness.
After JJ Redick made a ‘championship shape’ comment that many believed was directed at the Slovenian stud, and the Los Angeles Lakers poured salt on his wound by announcing their plan to hire a head strength and conditioning coach, Doncic began working on his body.
On Sunday, an X/Twitter user posted a video of Doncic preparing to watch his old Spanish club, Real Madrid, and wisely noted that the former Dallas Mavericks star looked slimmer.
“Luka has seemingly lost 20-30 lbs already this offseason, and is looking in great shape,” playoffjake wrote.
Although it’s unclear where exactly Doncic is weight-wise, the viral video shows that he’s taking his health seriously, incentivizing the Lakers to place their faith in him moving forward.
Doncic, who was traded to the Lakers on Feb. 2 in a blockbuster deal, gave Los Angeles fans hope for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign.
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The organization played below its potential before the groundbreaking deal in early February, but acquiring Doncic transformed the franchise into an undersized yet formidable ball club.
The Lakers enjoyed a 50-win regular season and locked up a top-5 seed in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles’ center-less lineups, combined with Doncic’s poor shape and noticeable defensive limitations, proved to be a recipe for disaster in the postseason.
The Minnesota Timberwolves made quick work of the Lakers in the first round, eliminating the franchise in five games.
Still, it’s essential to give Doncic his flowers for his masterful offensive play. The 26-year-old phenom averaged 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game, shooting 45.2% from the field and 34.8% from three-point land.
If Doncic continues transforming his body and appeasing Redick before the 2025-26 season begins, the Lakers could be in for a more action-packed campaign.
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