“Not everything is jumping high”: Luka Doncic gets brutally honest on athletic traits, claims vertical could be higher than rookie year

Luka Doncic’s drastic physical transformation could lead to many changes in the LA Lakers superstar’s game. While Doncic has never been considered the most athletic NBA player in the room, he had a significantly more explosive rookie year, highlighted by his quickness and dunking ability.

As he’s grown older, his rim-running blow-bys have reduced. However, we may get to see that again. With Doncic committing to a strict regimen this offseason to work on his fitness and conditioning, the five-time NBA All-Star believes he may have a higher vertical reach than his rookie year. Doncic had a 42-inch recorded vertical in 2019.

However, Doncic doesn’t only lean on that. While working on getting slimmer and quicker this offseason, Doncic maintained his ability to stay balanced and hit the brakes when needed. Here’s what he said about his offseason workout on these aspects in an interview with Men’s Health:

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"Not everything is jumping high. I think I’m very athletic in other stuff. Balancing, controlling my body, what I do when I stop, slowing down."

He spoke about his 42-inch vertical in his rookie year and the comparison right now:

"This year, we didn’t measure the jumping yet. But I think it’s a little bit higher."

Luka Doncic is already equipped with a tremendous skillset on the perimeter and in the post. However, if his workouts allow him to move like he did in his rookie year and get to the rim at will, his opponents will have a lot to worry about this upcoming season.

Also read: "Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better": Luka Doncic shares true feelings on revamped conditioning for second Lakers' season

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About the author

Arhaan Raje

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton and Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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