From Shock to Shift: How a Stunning NBA Trade Forced Luka to Reinvent His Summer

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Luka Dončić has gone from being criticized for his fitness and conditioning to making the cover of Men’s Health magazine’s summer edition.

Following the shocking trade of Dončić from Dallas to the Lakers, plenty had been said regarding concerns the Mavericks had over his conditioning and diet.

The feature in the men’s magazine pushed back on some of what had been said in the weeks following the blockbuster as the Mavericks attempted to explain their rationale for moving one of the sport’s biggest stars still in his prime.

The lengthy piece highlighted the two-a-days Dončić does while in Croatia and it mentioned a gluten-free, low-sugar diet – complete with 250 grams of protein and one almond milk–fueled shake a day – that he is adhering to.

Dončić began his offseason training program with Team Luka, which includes Barrio, Maček, and nutritionist Lucia Almendros, shortly after the Lakers were knocked out of the playoffs by the Timberwolves.

The five-time NBA All-Star texted his agent a day after the series loss that he wanted to begin his offseason training ASAP.

“So every summer I try my best to work on different things,” Dončić told Men’s Health. “Obviously, I’m very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better.”

The article included photos of a slimmed-down Dončić, who acknowledged he’s seen a massive difference.

“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” he said.

With questions surrounding how much longer LeBron James is going to be with the Lakers, Dončić is shaping up to be the future face of the franchise and who the organization is building around.

Dončić has two years left on his contract, but the Lakers will be able to offer him a four-year, $222 million extension as soon as Aug. 2, according to ESPN.

Dončić has seemingly taken major steps with his offseason work, and he teased it was only the beginning.

“Obviously, be the best that I can be, take care of myself,” he told Men’s Health. “This year, with my team, I think we did a huge step. But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can’t stop.”