"It was kind of challenging but it was all for the good" - Luka Doncic reveals he gave up basketball to improve his conditioning for the next season

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"It was kind of challenging but it was all for the good" - Luka Doncic reveals he gave up basketball to improve his conditioning for the next season originally appeared on Basketball Network.
By now, the whole world has seen the transformation that Luka Doncic has made in his body in his first offseason as a Los Angeles Laker. This has not only surprised the consensus but also instilled belief that the 26-year-old superstar might just put together his best basketball season in his remarkable career so far.
But ironically, what also led to Doncic's weight loss this summer wasn't basketball. In fact, the Slovenian sensation revealed that he had to be forced to stay away from it and take a whole new approach this offseason in order to achieve his goals.
"I would say me and my team just tried different new things. Different food, different practices," he said. "I actually gave up playing basketball for one month, which I've never done in my life. So it was kind of challenging, but it was all good," said Doncic in his appearance on The Today's Show.
Out with the old, in with the new
While losing what seems to be more than 10 pounds, the 6'7" guard pursued playing other sports religiously, such as pickleball and padel. Doncic said that it helped that he played multiple sports as a kid growing up, which was why he eventually made peace with the fact that he wouldn't play basketball for a month. Instead of playing basketball, the international superstar focused on getting his diet right and placing more emphasis on weight training.
Without playing basketball for the first time in years, the five-time All-Star also let his body recover completely, especially after a season that saw him miss 32 regular-season games because of a severe calf injury. This offseason, Doncic made it a point to lose weight, build muscle strength, and get right mentally.
"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," Doncic told Men's Health Magazine earlier this week.
In prime position to bounce back
Doncic also said he didn't lose weight to prove a point against his many critics who have long called him out for being out of shape. Instead, he did it for himself because he knows he needs to take advantage of his prime years while they're still around. It also helps that he's never been doubted the way he was last season, when not only the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Lakers, but his early playoff exit led him to be more motivated than ever to come back stronger.
"Honestly, I tried to not read much. Just tried to focus," he said about his critics. "I think I was still a pretty good basketball player back then, no matter what people say."
True enough, an "out-of-shape" Doncic has averaged 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists thus far in his seven-year stint in the NBA. If he was able to be a top five player over the last couple of years, what more now with his change in approach in regards to his fitness? Time will eventually tell how monumental this summer would eventually end up impacting The Don's career moving forward.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.