Luka Doncic Slimming Down After Humiliation from Mavs’ Nico Harrison
Whether he knows it or not, Luka Doncic is in the midst of the most critical offseason of his career. After being traded midseason to Los Angeles, Doncic was granted a certain level of leeway, considering the nasty and public nature of the trade.
The fact that he had to gel on the fly with a new team didn’t help either. Regardless, Doncic’s failure to deliver LA a title in his first season as a Laker isn’t held against him. This upcoming season? Luka is coming in with MVP-caliber expectations, and in Los Angeles, there’s always title expectations.
Recently, during a visit back to the club he grew up with, Real Madrid, photos surfaced of a very slim-looking Slovenian sitting courtside.
— Real Madrid Basket (@RMBaloncesto) May 25, 2025
Among Lakers fans and general optimists alike, this was an early indication that he knows what’s on the line for him this season. For wet blankets everywhere, apparently, this was a tale as old as time.
To the naysayer’s credit, this isn’t an uncommon offseason occurrence from Luka. In the past, we have seen pictures of a trim-looking Doncic in the offseason, only to see him show up to the season looking the same as he left, slightly out of shape. This year is different.
Luka Coming In Different This Year
Every NBA player wants to come into the season in the best possible shape. It’s quite literally their jobs. For Luka, not only is his paycheck fueling him, but humiliation is as well.
According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Luka’s camp saw this type of offseason coming.
Woike wrote, “There were people in his camp who felt as though he was in store for a big offseason because of the humiliation he felt in the discussions about his work ethic and conditioning after he was traded from Dallas.”
Luka’s IG story 👀 pic.twitter.com/mYCy3epsRB
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) May 25, 2025
The aforementioned nastiness and public nature of the trade, although rough, may have been just what Luka needed. Every player who gets to that level has a chip on their shoulder, regardless of talent. Dallas turned the chip on Luka’s shoulder into the size of Texas.
With Eurobasket set to take place later this summer, we should get a good preview of what to expect. Woike added that ‘the Lakers should expect a fully engaged Doncic whenever he gets back to Los Angeles.”
The season can’t come soon enough.
