A main criticism throughout Luka Doncic’s career has been his conditioning and staying in shape. But now that he is getting ready to embark on a new chapter with the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic looks extremely motivated to change that narrative.
With a longer offseason, the Slovenian star got himself in the best shape of his life. Head coach JJ Redick stressed having everyone in championship shape after last season and Doncic looks to have embraced that message.
By participating in EuroBasket this summer, the 26-year-old can keep his conditioning up to par as training camp nears. Assistant coach Greg St. Jean has been with Doncic through international play and he believes LeBron James played a factor in altering his regimen, via Pijus Sapetka of BasketNews:
“You know what? I always find this — iron sharpens iron,” St. Jean answered BasketNews’ question. “When you’re around really good players, it’s just like when you’re a coach, and you’re around a really good coach. You can’t help but be motivated to continue to get better at your craft.
“I think Luka’s learned a little bit from every great player he’s been around. And I know he’s always looked up to LeBron,” the coach added. “He’s always been somebody he’s really admired. So I think having those two together is obviously motivating. I think it’s two-way motivating as well. I don’t think it’s just a one-way street.
“I think LeBron, you can see, is working really hard as well. He’s up at 5 a.m., and he’s working on his body as well,” he continued. “So, I think our team and our players — it’s not just about those two guys — but I think everybody’s motivated to come back and have a really good season.”
To see the work James puts in on a consistent basis day in and day out has to have inspired Doncic. Obviously, James’ routine got him through 22 seasons and he continues to play at an All-NBA level at 40-years-old, which should be the goal of every player.
Hopefully by altering his body, Doncic will remain healthy and not deal with nagging issues throughout next season. At the end of the day, the Lakers need him healthy as possible heading into the postseason and things appear to be trending in the right direction.
Luka Doncic becomes Slovenia’s all-time leading scorer
Luka Doncic’s play during EuroBasket has been impressive, especially being active on both sides of the ball. A credit to his strong offensive play this summer, Doncic secured the title of Slovenia’s all-time leading scorer, which was bound to happen at some point as he is just 26 years of age.
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