Did Luka Doncic’s conditioning issues lead to his trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers? The Slovenian basketball star is built to dominate, standing tall at 6 feet 7 inches with a wingspan stretching 7 feet 2 inches. And dominate he does. But despite his on-court brilliance, there’s one thing that always seems to follow him off the court—talk about his weight. Officially listed at 230 pounds, Doncic’s physique has been a hot topic in NBA circles, sparking debates about whether it affects his game. However, ex-Lakers star Shaquille O’Neal, for one, isn’t buying into the noise.
“He doesn’t look out of shape to me… When you say out of shape, is he fat? Does he have a six-pack… Are we talking body fat,” Shaq said during his appearance on NBA on TNT. This, however, was not the extent of his support for Doncic. “One of my best friends just told me ‘fat Luka is better than 99.9 percent of all the guards in the game,’” he said.
Even if weight concerns played a role in the trade, Shaq wasn’t shy about pointing fingers at the Mavericks’ management. He believes they could’ve handled things differently, suggesting that there were better ways to address the situation without it leading to a breakup.
“Fat Luka is better than 99.9% of all guards in the league”
Shaq on what a friend told him regarding the conditioning reports around Luka pic.twitter.com/SPdKduZSrU
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 5, 2025
Multiple reports have claimed the Mavs had growing concerns about Luka Doncic’s behavior, work ethic, and conditioning. They allegedly felt he wasn’t taking the game seriously enough, with poor eating habits contributing to his injuries.
Adding fuel to the fire, recent reports suggest the Slovenian star’s weight fluctuated during the 2024-2025 season, allegedly hitting the high 260s. That sparked fresh concerns about his conditioning and its impact on his performance.
But here’s the twist—when Luka Doncic arrived in Los Angeles after the trade, fans and observers were quick to note that he looked to be in good shape.
This is a developing story.
The post “Fat Luka”: Shaquille O’Neal Takes Stance on Luka Doncic’s Weight Concerns With Bold Declaration appeared first on EssentiallySports.
