Luka Doncic’s inner circle debunks major Mavs narrative after his stunning transformation sets social media ablaze: Report

Luka Doncic has been making the rounds on social media after he was featured on the cover of Men’s Health on Monday. The article was about how this offseason has been different for the LA Lakers superstar, who fans noted has lost much weight over the summer.

Doncic went to extreme lengths, undertaking 16-hour fasts and consuming a gluten-free, low-sugar and high-protein diet. The Lakers guard faced much criticism last season after he was traded by the Dallas Mavericks. Shortly after he arrived in LA, it was revealed that Dallas moved on from Doncic due to issues with his conditioning and the team’s low confidence in his long-term health.

As per “The Athletic,” the Lakers star’s inner circle believes he was always headed towards this physical transformation, and would’ve gotten there even if he wasn’t traded by the Mavericks. Doncic’s team also acknowledged that his improvement over the years hasn’t exactly been linear.

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The general sentiment being echoed is that the Mavericks’ trade did little more than give Doncic more reasons to push harder this summer. Now, he stands committed to upholding his image as one of the league’s most talented players.

Luka Doncic on if the Mavericks saw his body transformation

After pictures of his body transformation went viral, Luka Doncic visited Yankee Stadium to watch the game against the Rays on Monday. He joined Michael Kay and David Cone on the YES Network.

The commentators noted that the Mavs’ front office was heavily criticized for trading him. They also asked Doncic to mail a copy of this month’s Men’s Health magazine to Dallas.

The Lakers star gave a lighthearted reply, saying that he doesn’t need to be worried about the Mavs. He said:

“They probably saw it. I don’t have to be worried about that.”

Luka Doncic made 50 appearances for the Mavericks and LA last season, averaging 28.2 points (shooting 45.0%), 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists. These are exciting times for NBA fans as one of the league's best players prepares for the 2025-26 season with a chip on his shoulder.

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Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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