Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić has heard all the criticisms and he’s taking them seriously.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Woike, the Lakers’ star is under a strict diet that has helped him lose significant weight this offseason.
“Dončić has been incredibly committed to his conditioning this offseason. He’s dropped significant weight and is working on strict diet and cardio training, according to a source with knowledge of the plan. In a shift from his normal offseason, he spent a month away from on-court work to focus more on his body. Dončić has looked visibly slimmer in photos and is now back working out with Slovenia readying for EuroBasket competition later this summer,” Woike wrote.
Criticisms about his poor conditioning that haunted Dončić since the shocking trade from Dallas to Los Angeles.
In the aftermath of the trade, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Dončić’s weight had ballooned to the “high 260s” during his final season in Dallas which was one of the factors why they traded him.
Lakers Offseason Program
After the Lakers season ended in first-round exit, coach JJ Redick had sharp comments which was believed to have been a veiled shot at their newest star.
“I’ll start with the offseason and the work that’s required in an offseason to be in championship shape,” Redick told reporters after the playoffs. “And we have a ways to go as a roster. And certainly, there are individuals who were in phenomenal shape. There are certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That’s where my mind goes immediately, is we have to get in championship shape.”
“Get Up” host Mike Greenberg and ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst agreed that Redick was referring to Dončić.
“There isn’t any question that he is talking directly to Luka Dončić there, right?” Greenberg asked Windhorst.
“Yeah,” Windhorst replied. “I can see Nico Harrison sort of lighting a cigar, watching that press conference.”
Redick added that they will have a personalized offseason program catered to each Lakers player to get to have them in championship form next season.
Luka Still Committed to Lakers After Staggering Sale
The Slovenian star puts to bed whatever questions about his long-term future with the Lakers following the sale of the majority stakes of the franchise to LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter for a staggering $10 billion valuation.
It was the largest sale of a professional sports team ever.
“The Lakers are an amazing organization. I’m looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future. I am also grateful to Jeanie and the Buss family for welcoming me to LA, and I’m happy that Jeanie will continue to be involved. I look forward to working with both of them to win championships!” Dončić posted on X.
The Buss family will keep a minority share of the team, just over 15%, for a period of time, according to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, to keep Jeanie as the team governor for the foreseeable future.
The first order of business in Walter’s majority ownership of the Lakers is securing Dončić’s long-term future.
Dončić is eligible to extend for four years, worth $229 million.
