“It’s not easy”: Luka Doncic reveals harsh truth about past conditioning struggles and Mavericks’ limited guidance

During the 2024 season, the Dallas Mavericks and LA Lakers starred in one of the most surprising moves in recent NBA history. Not many people saw Luka Doncic being on the move, much less overnight. Then, with all the backlash going their way, the Mavericks tried to make it seem like they didn’t trust Doncic because of his eating and workout habits.

In an interview with Men’s Health on Monday, the Slovenian superstar revealed that the team failed to give him proper guidance on how to stay in shape between seasons.

“At the start of his NBA career, Dončić mostly received advice from Mavs trainers and nutritionists,” read the article. “During the offseasons, when he returned to Europe, the limited guidance left him flailing. And during the season, the vicious NBA travel schedules gave him little time to clean up his diet.”

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Doncic talked about the struggles of keeping his eating habits in check in the offseason, especially given the limited guidance.

“Especially in the NBA, you travel almost all the time," Doncic said. "You're never home. And for me, you know, after the season, going back home, it's a big thing, you know. I see my friends, my family, I see everybody. So it's not easy for sure."

He also talked about his youth and lack of experience when he entered the league, but he's now trying to take a different approach to his preparation.

“When I came to the NBA, I was 18,” he says. “Honestly, I didn't know what to expect those first four or five years. Then I said, ‘I need to do this.’”

The Lakers are trusting Luka Doncic with their future

The Lakers will certainly need Luka Doncic to be at his best going forward, and they will leave no stone unturned or spare no resources or effort in making sure that he gets and stays in shape.

All reports and actions point to Rob Pelinka and company pivoting towards him as the face of the franchise, which, given his age and talent, makes perfect sense.

Luka Doncic has already reportedly started recruiting for the Lakers, as he was reportedly very active in trying to get Marcus Smart to join them. That also indicates his desire to stay with the organization in the long run.

He's one of the most gifted players of all time, and if he can finally get in the best shape of his career, the rest of the league will be in a lot of trouble.

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About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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