Lakers’ Luka Doncic Trolls Mavericks After Viral Body Transformation

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic nearly broke the internet on Monday after he graced the cover of the most recent Men’s Health magazine showing off his dramatic body transformation.

After being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers back in early February, Doncic has spent the better part of the last five months being heavily criticized for his weight management and conditioning habits after it was revealed by ESPN both were major factors that facilitated his trade to L.A.

In the three months since the Lakers were eliminated in five games from the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Doncic has been training for the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament in late August and working on his conditioning.

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In his Men’s Health feature story, Doncic revealed he’s drastically changed his diet to a low-sugar, gluten-free one, he’s upped his protein to 250 or more grams of protein per day, and he’s increasing the frequency and intensity of his workouts.

During a trip to Yankee Stadium on Monday night, Doncic did an exclusive interview with the Yankees broadcast team. That’s when play-by-play announcer Michael Kay couldn’t help but bring up Doncic’s impressive new physique while encouraging him to throw shade at the Mavericks.

“After that deal was made, the Mavericks got a lot of criticism regarding it. Then they start to leak out stuff — ‘Oh, we don’t know if he’s ever going to be in shape.’ You should mail them a copy of that Men’s Health magazine.”

“They probably saw it,” Doncic coyly replied. “I don’t have to worry about that.”

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Though Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison stated the deciding factor in trading Doncic was improving Dallas’ defense, multiple reports indicated after the trade that Doncic weighed in the mid-to-high 260s and the team’s front office was concerned that letting his weight get that high was having an adverse effect on his ability to recover from injuries.

While Doncic’s new body is the talk of social media, The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported on Tuesday that he was already committed to getting in shape and shedding some extra weight regardless of which team he played for in 2025.

“This, the body, the publicity, the determined look in his eyes, the sweat reflecting the spotlights, it’s all part of a bigger plan,” Woike wrote. “That plan, according to some around Dončić, was going to be fulfilled no matter what happened in his pro career.

“To everyone else, it’s so clearly a response to the humiliation and pain caused by the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to cast him away from the city where he’d planned on spending the entirety of his career.”