Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Doncic
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Luka Doncic looks-on during Lakers game.
NFL legend and popular analyst Shannon Sharpe has refused to buy the theory that Lakers star Luka Doncic has miraculously changed his lifestyle.
On May 25, a few photos emerged of Doncic attending a Real Madrid basketball game, and the Lakers guard looked noticeably leaner.
Sharpe believes Doncic trimming down during the summer is irrelevant to the Lakers. The Hall of Famer would rather see the Slovenian in similar shape for training camp ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“I don’t care what he looks like right now,” Sharpe said on his “Nightcap” podcast. “I’m talking about when he comes back to play. I want him to look like this when he comes back to play.”
“…He looks good, but again, I don’t worry about what he looks like right now. He ain’t got to play for 4-5 months. I want to see what he looks like when he comes back.”
Luka Doncic Weight Loss
Sharpe’s podcast co-host, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, floated the theory that Doncic possibly consumed Ozempic to fast-track his weight loss.
“You can’t take that as an NBA player, right?” Johnson asked. “How many weeks have they been out of the season? It ain’t been that long for him to lose all that weight like that. I’m telling you he probably took that Ozempic stuff. I’m telling you.”
Meanwhile, their guest, former NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal, had another theory for Doncic’s inability to stay in shape during an NBA season.
“When I’ve seen him play with his national team, he always looks thinner,” O’Neal said. “Then he comes back to the United States, and he’s eating yeast rolls and pasta.”
Lakers Concerned About Doncic’s Fitness?
Lakers beat writer Jason Gallagher earlier reported that Doncic is determined to improve his conditioning ahead of the 2025-26 season.
“I have heard from folks that are pretty honest about the conditioning stuff that Luka has already begun to ‘clean slate’ — starting anew,” Gallagher said on “The Dumb Zone” podcast. “He’s already in this mindset of changing a lot about himself. Now, I’ve heard it a before. But not from specific people that have been critical of him.”
Gallagher’s report came shortly after it was announced that the Lakers advertised a job for a new “Head Strength & Conditioning Coach,” which many felt was related to their concerns about Doncic’s fitness and conditioning levels.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick also referenced Doncic’s poor conditioning after the 2024-25 season. In his exit press conference, he said some team members weren’t in “championship shape” during the playoff series loss to the Timberwolves.
“I’ll start with the offseason and the work that’s required in an offseason to be in championship shape,” Redick said on May 1. “And we have a ways to go as a roster. And certainly, there are individuals who were in phenomenal shape. There are certainly other ones that could have been in better shape. That’s where my mind goes immediately, is we have to get in championship shape.”
Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in his first 28 regular-season games with the Lakers. His assist numbers plummeted to 5.8 per game in the playoffs.