On June 11, Beijing time, a comparison photo of Doncic after 4 months caused heated discussions on the Internet. The two photos were taken in February and June of this year, and it is clear that Doncic's offseason training and slimming effect is obvious.
Doncic himself has posted photos and videos of himself working hard in the power room, and he seems to have begun to prepare for the 2025-26 NBA season. Many media believe that Doncic is sending a signal to the outside world: his MVP season is coming!
The 26-year-old guard has just endured a tumultuous season — in February, he was "shocked" poached from the Mavericks by the Lakers in one of the NBA's most unexpected trades in recent years. After the Lakers sent Davis, Christie and a first-round pick in exchange for Doncic, rumors about why the Mavericks sent away the core of the team continued to ferment.
At the time, Sam Amick reported that there were doubts within the Mavericks about Doncic's physical fitness, and some management considered him "lazy." Amick also mentioned that Doncic's weight problem has been a "thorn in the heart" of the Mavericks, and his drinking and hookah habits have also been troubled. These factors reportedly prompted the Mavericks to trade the five-time All-Star — just last season, Doncic led the team to the NBA Finals and finished third in the MVP vote.
The Mavericks' all-time legend and legendary coach Nelson Sr. is still haunted by this. At a press conference before Game 2 of the NBA Finals when he was presented with the Chuck Daley Lifetime Achievement Award, he bluntly stated: "Actually, I want everybody to know that I'm wearing Luka's sneakers — his new style. I wore these shoes to protest the Lone Ranger for sending him away. ”
After joining the Lakers, Doncic quickly settled into the system: in 28 games for the Lakers, he averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 3.6 three-pointers and 1.6 steals per game. Led by Doncic and James, the Lakers are the third seed in the West with a 50-32 record, but lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. At the end of the season, Ross Barkley expressed his dissatisfaction with Doncic's physical condition and strongly suggested that he should lose weight.
Now, Doncic has clearly put it into action: he has emaced himself in several public appearances. Is Luka's MVP season really coming?