“Michael Jordan had to get stronger when Pistons pumped him” – Kendrick Perkins stunned by Luka Doncic’s skinny frame, crowns him early MVP pick

LA Lakers star Luka Doncic has gotten nothing but positive reactions for his body transformation. Since he started his NBA journey, there have been criticisms about Doncic’s conditioning. Until this offseason, the star guard has had a habit of putting on a bit more weight.

This is one of the main reasons why the Dallas Mavericks gave up on him. General manager Nico Harrison pointed out Doncic’s conditioning as a reason why they wanted to move on from him. This summer, however, things are different.

The five-time All-Star has trimmed some weight off since the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. He’s shed a ton of weight, and he’s even on the cover of the latest edition of Men’s Health magazine.

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Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins discussed Doncic's transformation on Tuesday. In the latest episode of Perk's UNPLUGGED Clips on the "Road Trippin'" show, he talked about how every franchise star needs a big change in their career at some point.

"Every single franchise guy that I've seen growing up, admiring to guys that I've played with, they all had something that they had to do to get to the next level," Perkins said (3:50). "Some type of adversity, some type of accountability, they all had to go through it.

"[Michael] Jordan had to get stronger when the [Detroit] Pistons punked him. Shaq, [O'Neal] he had to lose some weight, get in the best shape of his life. Kobe [Bryant] called him out. LeBron [James], he had to go to the [Miami] Heat to learn how to win. Steph Curry, he had to get in the weight room."

Luka Doncic seems to be on the right track based on his physical care regimen.

Magic Johnson 'loves' Luka Doncic's body transformation

Former Lakers star Magic Johnson couldn't be happier for Luka Doncic. On X, the five-time NBA champion commended the Slovenian star for his commitment to staying in shape during the offseason.

"I love how Luka is showing his Laker teammates how serious he is about winning a championship in Los Angeles by transforming his body!" Johnson posted.

The Lakers are turning their attention to Luka Doncic as their new franchise player, so his road to recovery appears to be serious. The five-time All-NBA player is looking determined to have a better 2025-26 campaign after he was limited to just 50 games in the regular season due to a strained calf.

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About the author

Reign Amurao

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline. 

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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