"It's not just about how you look but the effort that you put forth" - Stephen A. isn't convinced that fit Luka means trouble for the NBA originally appeared on Basketball Network .
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is back from his much-deserved vacation, and he wasted no time questioning the fuss over Luka Doncic 's new physique.
Doncic recently made headlines when he appeared on the cover of Men's Health magazine. Many talking heads agree that Luka taking his conditioning seriously is a warning to the rest of the league. If an out-of-shape version of him led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, a well-conditioned version of the Slovenian could be scary to other teams.
However, Smith put the brakes on that narrative by saying that looks are one thing. What you do with it is another.
"There's a difference between getting in shape during the offseason and staying in shape during the regular season. And that's something that we have to monitor moving forward," the ESPN analyst explained.
Luka's conditioning and fitness were the main reasons the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking deal in February. This summer, Doncic has spent two months getting into shape, the details of which are outlined in the featured article in the said magazine.
The finished product is certainly impressive, and SAS gave it a thumbs up too. However, Stephen A. isn't convinced that everyone should be more scared of Luka than they already are.
According to Smith, the question is whether this slim Doncic will now be able to move without the ball instead of just standing in the corner and waiting for his teammates to pass him the ball. It also remains to be seen if this new physique will make The Don give more effort on defense, where opposing teams picked on him when the playoffs come.
"So it's nice to see him prioritize his conditioning because we know that's been an Achilles heel of his. He's a terrific basketball player; he's a superstar in this league. But how it's going to translate to the basketball court, it's not just about how you look, but the effort that you put forth. And it doesn't end in the offseason. That's when it starts," he added.
Smith does have a valid argument that he hasn't done anything yet with his new physique except grace the cover of the No.1 men's magazine in circulation. However, while we can agree with Stephen A. that the jury is still out on "Slim Luka", SAS's colleague Marc Spears made a good point when he said that getting in shape not only made the Slovenian a potential MVP candidate but also extended his playing career.
"I think this trade ended up with the teasing, the hate, the social media stuff and inspired him. And it ended up pushing him to get in this amazing weight that I think isn't only going to make him an MVP candidate next season, but have the longevity in his career, keep him around longer," Spears said .
The Mavs traded Doncic because they believed that with his lack of conditioning and social habits, his career would be a catastrophe in five years. However, after this stunning transformation, it looks like Luka will torment his former team on the court for at least another decade. Now that's something to be scared of.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
