Luka Doncic is entering the 2025–26 NBA season with a noticeably leaner frame and a renewed focus on longevity, performance, and health. In an interview with Men’s Health, the 26-year-old Los Angeles Lakers star spoke candidly about his rigorous offseason training and body transformation.
“Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,” Doncic said, reflecting on a summer that featured twice-daily workouts, a disciplined nutrition plan, and limited time on the basketball court.
The five-time All-Star conducted much of his training in Croatia with long-time trainer Anze Macek and physiotherapist Javier Barrio. Doncic’s sessions emphasized strength, agility, and eccentric force—critical to his signature ability to decelerate on drives.
Throughout the summer, Doncic adhered to a gluten-free, low-sugar diet paired with intermittent fasting. He consumed around 250 grams of protein per day, starting each day with a 90-minute fasted workout before his first meal.
“This summer was just a little bit different,” Doncic said. “It kind of motivated me to be even better.”
Following a disappointing end to his 2024–25 season—his first with the Lakers—Doncic began training almost immediately. He initiated a full-body assessment in Madrid, undergoing blood work, movement analysis, and force plate testing. The data guided the structure of his summer workouts.
Barrio noted that Doncic’s strength and low center of gravity make him difficult to move on the court. Doncic added, “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.”
In May, Team Luka enforced a full month away from basketball to allow recovery. During that period, Doncic focused on total-body strength and conditioning through activities like pickleball and padel to reduce wear on his joints while engaging lateral movement.
“Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect those first four or five years,” he said, referring to his early NBA seasons. “Then I said, ‘I need to do this.’”
Doncic emphasized that his inspiration partly came from watching legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki maintain elite performance through grueling offseason routines. “MJ and Kobe, you know, they really did a lot in their careers. They sacrificed a lot,” he said.
His summer regimen culminated in advanced on-court drills designed to sharpen deceleration and lateral agility. Despite his slimmer physique, Dončić still believes in his physical power and explosiveness. “This year, we didn’t measure the jumping yet,” he said. “But I think it’s a little bit higher.”
Reflecting on the effort invested, Doncic was clear about the stakes: “If I stop now, it was all for nothing.”
Now fully healthy, Doncic is expected to represent Slovenia in EuroBasket 2025 before returning to the Lakers for training camp.
