Skinny Luka is a term that is going to take a little getting used to. But following his impressive training regimen in Latvia, Luka Doncic is looking like a completely different person. Once the season came to an end for Luka, he was a man on a mission. That mission, you ask? Become a leaner and fitter version of the player who has lit up the basketball world for years now. His national team of Slovenia played several games against European competition ahead of the start of the EuroBasket 2025 tournament, set to kick off at the end of August.
Luka Doncic has been a player unlike any other in the NBA
When the news broke that the Dallas Mavericks were going to trade Luka to the Los Angeles Lakers, everyone not privy to the deal was in absolute shock. Some fans even suggested that Shams Charania’s X account had been hacked. Such was the sheer disbelief at the story. But that was the reality that we, and Luka, had to deal with. To his credit, he handled the trade relatively well, despite being obviously heartbroken.
Fast forward a few months, and Luka has lit a fire in Los Angeles with the Lakers. Under the watchful and supportive eye of one of the best to ever play the game. LeBron James, Luka began to find his feet in California. The season would end abruptly for Luka and the Lakers as they were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. But so much more was to come from Luka.
The EuroBasket tournament will see a revamped Luka Doncic
Slovenia had several friendlies against some serious competition ahead of the start of the EuroBasket tournament. Of the six games that Slovenia played, they only managed a single win against England. Two losses to Germany were compounded by losses to Lithuania, Latvia, and ultimately Serbia. Despite the losses, Luka received the highest praise from several international stars ahead of the start of the EuroBasket tournament.
“He can kill every team in the tournament. He can score 50 or 60 points… I don’t know, that’s what makes him special,” – Bogdan Bogdanovic
“Doncic is special because he has everything. His basketball IQ, his feel for the game – unbelievable. A player like that is born once in 50 years.” – Polish national team captain Mateusz Ponitka
“He is different. He has special skills and a special mentality. It is an honor to play against him. One day we will say, ‘Yeah, I played against him.’ We were lucky to watch him play.” – Turkish international Furkan Korkmaz
Nearly every player has nothing but praise for Luka ahead of the start of the international tournament. Slovenia head coach, Aleksander Sekulic finalized his roster ahead of the Serbia game, in which Doncic lost to another NBA star, Nikola Jokic. Luka’s LA Lakers are reportedly close to a deal with the Miami Heat to bring Andrew Wiggins to LA, so the future is looking good for Luka.
Luka Doncic has a lot to prove once the new NBA season begins
Doncic is undoubtedly one of the best in the NBA at the moment, and will continue to be for many years to come. As the new season approaches, the NBA teams are focused on staying beneath the cap for the 2026 season. Luka has all the pieces to make a deep playoff run with the Lakers next season. His recent training regimen has made the entire NBa sit up and take note of the all new “Skinny Luka”. Can he lead the Lakers to glory this year? Or will it be another disappointing season in LA?
