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The Los Angeles Lakers’ blockbuster February trade for Luka Doncic is already paying dividends, and not just on the floor.
“I think the slap in the face of the trade and the way it happened, the aftermath, that has been a big-time wakeup call for Luka,” MacMahon said on NBA Today. “I think it has forced him to grow up. And look, there’s been flashes of commitment to conditioning for Luka in the past… this feels like something that is the turning of a corner. You know, can he maintain it through the course of the season? We’ll see. But you’re seeing maturation with Luka, the way he interacted and led a Slovenia team.”
MacMahon pointed out that Doncic has embraced a leadership role he never fully took on in Dallas.
“He didn’t have to be the leader in Dallas. You know, Kyrie Irving was, you know, Jalen Brunson was the vocal guy,” MacMahon explained. “On that Slovenian national team, you know, in EuroBasket, they put the camera in the huddle, so you really saw it. But I think that was evidence of maturation. The way that he has worked with the front office of the Lakers in a partnership, recruited, these are things, this is different than it was in Dallas and certainly the relationship with the Mavericks front office completely broke down. But even in the good times, this is a different approach by Luka. The media approach has been different.”
Doncic has reportedly transformed his approach since landing in Los Angeles. Men’s Health detailed his offseason regimen: “Doncic slogging through two-a-days in Croatia while sticking to a gluten-free, low-sugar diet that includes at least 250 grams of protein and one almond milk–fueled shake a day.”
The Lakers begin their season October 21 at home against the Golden State Warriors, and the spotlight will be on Doncic to prove that maturity is here to stay.
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