Heading into his first full season playing for the storied Los Angeles Lakers franchise, guard Luka Doncic looks to be in fantastic physical shape. He’s spoken on all the work he’s put in and the strict diet he’s adhered to in order to get his body looking slim and sleek.
Former NBA center Boban Marjanovic just so happened to play alongside Doncic earlier in the star’s career on the Dallas Mavericks, and he said that the Slovenian is in the best shape of his pro career.
“For me, he always was athletic, just depends how tired he is,” he said. “Sometimes he’s tired, sometimes he’s less tired. But he play every game. He have the ball 40 minutes and it’s all offense on him, what is really good, but he for sure is best shape right now.”
Marjanovic and Doncic were teammates on the Mavericks from the 2019-20 season through the 2021-22 campaign. Dallas made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals in Marjanovic’s swan song with the team, but he unfortunately wasn’t still in the fold when the team reached the 2024 NBA Finals.
The 37-year-old was a journeyman across his nine seasons in the NBA, as he played for a whopping six teams, including the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers along with the Mavericks.
Still, considering he was Doncic’s teammate for a while, Lakers fans should be excited by the big man’s comments.
A new and improved Doncic might be what the doctor ordered for the Lakers to contend for a championship in a loaded Western Conference in the 2025-26 season. With teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Mavericks and Clippers all residing in the West, the Lakers won’t have any shortage of competition in the conference.
An MVP-caliber campaign is what Doncic should be shooting for, and that seems to be very much within his grasp. He’s finished in the top three in voting for the award before, and he’s a walking triple-double threat with his knack for racking up points, rebounds and assists.
There are plenty of reasons for Lakers fans to be excited about the coming season, but seeing how Doncic fares in light of his body transformation might be at the top of that list. Los Angeles’ season opener is slated for Oct. 21 versus the Golden State Warriors.