Six months ago, Luka Doncic walked into the Los Angeles Lakers practice facility frazzled. The shock from being unexpectedly traded by the Dallas Mavericks was written all over his face. The anguish of the so-called betrayal colored his every word.
On Saturday, things couldn’t have been more different.
After agreeing to a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension with the Lakers that includes a player option in 2028, something else was visible in Doncic: A steel resolve.
He spent the offseason transforming his body. He realizes playing for a 17-time championship franchise in a city with endless opportunities could be life-altering. And he’s on a mission to prove anyone who doubted him wrong.
As for the extension? It was apparently a no-brainer.
“Being a Laker is an honor and I wanted to be here,” Doncic said. “So, obviously, when you look over here, so many great names and what they achieved, I want to be up there too one day.”
It’s no secret that this is going to be a revenge season of sorts for Doncic, which is an incredible opportunity for a Lakers franchise that has failed to get past the first round of the playoffs the last two seasons despite having LeBron James on their roster.
Doncic arrived in Los Angeles wide-eyed and heartbroken last winter. He was embarrassed. How could he have been traded? It was unprecedented for a 25-year-old superstar to be dealt, especially one who was hoping to spend his entire career with the same franchise that drafted him.
Making things worse, his name was dragged through the mud. Whispers were leaked about him being out of shape, lazy and disengaged even though he had led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024.
Now it’s clear Doncic has not only wrapped his mind around his new reality, but he has embraced it.
He has given the Lakers the commitment they desperately needed and gambled on getting when they traded Anthony Davis to acquire the young hotshot. The Lakers are now Doncic’s team. And it’s clear he wants to show the Mavericks how badly they messed up.
When asked if he’s in the best shape of his career, Doncic didn’t hesitate.
“We’ll just say, you know, it was like a fresh start for me,” he said.
Doncic said he’s faster. He’s anticipating being a better defender. He’s bracing for playing long minutes and trying to carry the Lakers to their first championship since 2020.
Over the summer, Doncic changed his entire routine to transform his body into a leaner, more chiseled version of itself.
“For the first month, I didn’t play basketball at all,” Doncic said. “We were more focused on other things. So I think that kinda sparked it. The first five days were really hard without basketball. I just didn’t know what to do. But after, it was easier. But physically, weight lifting, balancing, those stuff. And then after one month, we started playing basketball too.”
Multiple Lakers players were at the team’s practice facility Saturday to celebrate Doncic’s long-term commitment to the team, including Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Adou Thiero, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber.
There was, of course, one notable absence in James, who posted videos of himself golfing on Saturday on Instagram. James, who opted into the final year of his $52.6 million contract for next season in June, has raised speculation over his future after his agent, Rich Paul, told multiple outlets that James “knows the Lakers are building for the future,” before adding, “But he values a realistic chance of winning it all.”
In Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka’s first media availability since James’ decision, he was asked whether he believes James will finish his career with the Lakers.
“I think the No. 1 thing we have to do there is respect he and his family’s decision in terms of how long he’s going to play,” Pelinka said. “We want to respect his ability to come up with his timetable on that. I think that’s really important. But, if he had a chance to retire a Laker, that would be great.”
It’s clear that the Lakers’ focus is now on Doncic.
And luckily for the Lakers, that commitment is reciprocal.
Doncic is far from the stunned player who arrived in the same building six months ago. Back then, his head was spinning. Now he’s laser-focused.
When asked how differently he feels, he couldn’t help but laugh at the stark change.
“Way better,” he said. “Way better.”
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the LosAngeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her at @melissarohlin.
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