Luka Doncic is barely recognizable after a staggering summer transformation – and he knows it.
The 26-year-old’s shock trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was shrouded in speculation that the Dallas Mavericks moved on from him due to concerns about his weight.
Yet, just months later, the guard has silenced the criticism. Now, Doncic is parading his new chiseled physique on the cover of Men’s Health magazine.
‘Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,’ he told the outlet.
In the feature, the NBA star lifts the lid on his stunning transformation as he reveals the strict regime he’s been adhering to in order to shed the pounds.
Doncic has been spending his summer grinding away in Croatia, doing two workouts a day – including one on a fast.
Luka Doncic has undergone a stunning transformation this offseason, shedding the pounds
The Los Angeles Lakers star graced the cover of Men’s Health magazine’s summer edition
And the regime isn’t restricted to the gym. Doncic has also overhauled his diet to eat gluten-free and low-sugar, including 250 grams of protein and one almond milk–fueled shake a day.
Doncic has reportedly lost 31 pounds, according to Slovenian POP TV channel.
The Slovenian began working on the new-and-improved Doncic as soon as the Lakers’ season came to an end with a crushing playoff defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Doncic texted his agent the day after the loss to kickstart his offseason training immediately with Team Luka, which includes his physiotherapist Javier Barrio, trainer Anže Maček and nutritionist Lucia Almendros.
‘So every summer I try my best to work on different things,’ Dončić told Men’s Health. ‘Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.’
Doncic is heading into a pivotal season of his career after signing a three-year, $165million maximum contract extension with the Lakers, with an option to extend through the 2028 season, earlier this month.
‘I just signed my extension with the Lakers. Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who’ve shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning,’ Doncic posted on social media about the extension.
Doncic’s megadeal secured his future with the team but also cast doubt on LeBron James’s future in Los Angeles.
The NBA legend is set to make $52.6million this season, with him becoming a free agent in 2026.
The Slovenian joined up with LeBron James (left) and the Lakers in February over a shock trade
The Dallas Mavericks are said to have moved on from Doncic due to concerns over his weight
The two joined forces for the home stretch of last season after Doncic was traded to the Lakers from the Mavericks in February in a trade that sent shockwaves around the league.
At the time, he as recovering from a calf issue and hadn’t played for his team for a number of weeks before his abrupt departure.
And in his final days in Dallas, multiple people made remarks about Doncic’s lack of professionalism, with some branding him as ‘lazy’, according to a report from The Athletic.
While the reported issues of his weight gain were present in the minds of Mavericks leadership, they also appeared to take issues with his social habits. Particularly, his fondness for beer and for smoking hookah were highlighted.
As The Athletic put it, Mavericks leadership predicted that Doncic was headed for ‘demise’ and believe that his health history ‘will likely lead to catastrophe in the next five years or so.’
The Mavericks have since been proven to be catastrophically wrong.
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