Dončič before the European Championship in basketball drastically lost weight. Becomes a leader and a pattern

BRATISLAVA. It was a transfer bomb that no one expected. When people opened social networks, they fell their sleds.

“Dallas Mavericks exchanges Luka Dončič to Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis,” he pointed out on February 2 as the first recognized reporter of ESPN Shams Charania.

When Dončič himself learned of his exchange, he broke his cell phone from anger. He couldn’t believe his team initiated Trejd with Lakers. “It broke my heart. I stayed shocked,” he admitted over time to ESPN.

“I never thought Luka would be part of the exchange,” said NBA star Kevin Durant.

Drastically lost weight

It wasn’t long before speculating why Dallas decided to get rid of Dončič. One of them was his diet.

It was speculated that shortly before his exchange to Los Angeles Lakers weighed up to 120 kilograms.

Its official weight is 104 kilograms according to the NBA league website, but this is no longer the case.

During the summer preparation, he said he has lost up to fourteen kilograms and should be in the best life form. He went through a drastic transformation that should help him avoid injuries in the upcoming season.

On the deck, the world will be shown to the world this Thursday (August 28 at 8.15h), when the representation of Slovenia will invite Poland in the first duels at the Basketball Championship in basketball.

Such a player is born every 50 years, says the opponent

“He is slowly getting into the optimal form. But he is not yet where he wants to be,” said Slovenian coach Aleksander Sekulič to Dončič a week ago.

Slovenian mage is one of the best basketball players in the world. On the deck, it differs from other players with their basketball intelligence, art to direct the game of their team, great dribling and of course dangerous shooting from any distance.

It does not stand out for its athleticity, which limits it in defense, but thanks to its height (201 cm), more robust figure and its own pace it is difficult to stop it.

“He can bury anyone. He can shoot 50 or 60 points in the match. This makes him special,” says Dončič Bogdan Bogdanovič from the Serbian team.

“What makes Dončić so special? I guess he has everything in him,” he is praised by the nearest rival at the Mateusz Ponitka from Poland and continues: “Such a player is born only every 50 years.”

“One day we will be able to say how we played against him,” says Furkan Korkmaz from Turkey.

If you want to see it, do so as soon as possible, advises an expert

Dončič and Slovenia already won the title of European champion in 2017. At that time he was just a teenager and looked up to the star of the Goran Dragic team.

“We played for the first time for the first time. I took it under my wings,” Dragon recalled recently, adding, “We were roommates at the hotel. He was already a member of the basic five, which was incredible for an eighteen -year -old boy.”

Dragic ended his successful career at the end of 2023 and since then Slovenes are looking for someone to Dončič to help him.

In addition, the Slovenians will miss the sub -weapons Vlatko Čančar and the naturalized Josh Heaven.

The European Championship will start Thursday’s duels against Poland. Subsequently, they will invite France, Belgium, Iceland and finally Israel. It may be the most balanced group in the tournament.

Even the renowned ESPN Windhorst NBA expert warns Los Angeles Lakers fans who will want to watch Slovenia’s matches because of their pet to do so as soon as possible.

“If you want to see playing a bow (Dončič), you better do so as soon as possible, because I’m not sure if it will appear in the knockout phase,” he noted.

Dončič becomes the leader of the cabin

The Slovenes did not dazzle even in preparation for this year’s Eurobasket, when they won only one of the six duels. These losses brought a dose of frustration to the Slovenian cabin.

One of Slovenia’s players, Edo Muric, shared one of these defeats an interesting story:

“After the match and the way home, we came to the hotel at five in the morning. We gathered and went straight to the training. I barely held on my feet, but then Luka came. He took the ball and started to work 100 percent.

“It is a model for us,” Muric added. After the last loss in preparation with Serbia (72: 106), Muric said they had a discussion in the cabin that connected them.

Luka Dončič should have the main word. “He becomes a real leader. In the full sense of the word,” he is praised by the coach of the national team Sekulič.

“Not only with his game qualities, but also with his leadership skills. I mean communication, warning, encouragement, etc.,” he added.