For most basketball fans, the summer of 2023 means the spotlight is on the FIBA World Cup, but for many players and especially for their teams, this is an especially good time. for the new season.
For that reason, some players, such as Nikola Jokic, have decided not to attend the FIBA World Cup and start preparing for the 2023/24 season. It’s also been an important summer for the Dallas Mavericks, who want to forget the disappointment of missing out on the NBA playoffs, and their star Luka Doncic in a bid to lose weight.
According to Tim Cato, a journalist for The Athletic, senior team officials from Texas spoke with the Slovenian to help him “lose the optimal weight to play this summer”. In recent weeks, Doncic has posted several videos on his social media account of him working out in preparation for the World Cup. Optimal weight for competition is something Doncic has been warning about for years.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24316428/usa_today_19636862.jpg)
The wake-up call began two years ago, at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. Luka and Slovenia finished 4th at the event and he insisted that the Dallas Mavericks allow him to return to training just two weeks later. . However, when he arrived at the Mavs training camp, his weight skyrocketed to 118 kg, while the optimal weight for competition was only 104.
The player himself admitted this in an interview a few months later with ESPN : “Maybe I relaxed too much during the three-week break after the Olympics.”
However, information shared by The Athletic shows that both the Mavericks and Luka are confident that he will start next season “in better shape than ever”.
This season is key to the former Real Madrid player’s future. Many predictions suggest that Doncic will win the MVP title in the third season in the NBA. There are also rumors that he could leave for a stronger team if Mavericks results do not improve next season.