Luka Dončić’s three-year max extension has made him an incredibly rich man. The reported $165 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers officially makes Dončić the foundation of the franchise’s push for an 18th NBA championship. But with that much money comes a greater responsibility on Dončić’s end, particularly given the criticism of his physical conditioning in the past.
This summer, Dončić has gotten serious about his fitness, and he addressed that when discussing his extension on Saturday.
“It was like a fresh start for me,” Dončić said of his offseason conditioning program. “I was on my way to do it, but it was a fresh start. Had a little more time to get my mind off basketball, just doing other things. I would just say a fresh start for me.
“For the first month, I didn’t play basketball at all. We were more focused on other things. I think that sparked it. The first five days without basketball were actually really hard. I didn’t know what to do. After, it was easier. Physically, weightlifting and balancing. After one month, we were playing basketball too.”
Luka Dončić contract extension winners, losers: Lakers star in both categories; hope dashed for Heat, Clippers
Sam Quinn
In addition to getting a little bit quicker on the court, Dončić believes slimming down will help his body hold up better against the rigors of an 82-game NBA regular season. Having a bit more gas in the tank should also improve Dončić’s defense, but he will be getting help in that department from 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who signed with the Lakers in free agency.
“Obviously, we have Marcus, so he’s gonna teach me some things,” Dončić…
..
