Luka Doncic reveals ‘honestly my motivation’ behind huge offseason

Much has been made of Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic’s body transformation this offseason. By dieting and training hard, he’s seen his efforts pay off as he looks slim and sleek heading into his first full season as a Laker.

Doncic spoke with People recently and revealed his true motivation for his physical transformation: winning a championship.

“I would say winning the championship is my priority,” Doncic said. “You know, you try to do it every year; I didn’t do it yet. Hopefully in the future I will.

“So I mean, that was honestly my motivation. We got a new team, we got a whole preseason. You get to know each other, and honestly, I’m very excited to start.”

The Slovenian didn’t even come close to winning a championship in his maiden season as a Laker. While Los Angeles did end up as a top-three seed in the West, the team failed to win a series in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

The Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a gentleman’s sweep. Doncic, for his part, did all he could to try to keep the series competitive. He averaged 30.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in the series.

The closest Doncic has ever been to winning the NBA’s ultimate prize came back when he was still playing for Dallas. He helped a fifth-seeded Mavs squad reach the 2024 NBA Finals, when he ultimately came up three wins short of a title. Dallas proved to be no match for a loaded Boston Celtics team in the championship series and lost in five games.

Hopefully, next year will be the year that Doncic finally adds a championship ring to his resume. He’s already accomplished so much individually with a scoring title and several All-Star and All-NBA selections. He has also become a regular contender for the MVP award.

Doncic’s explanation behind his big offseason indicates that he’s hungry to win a championship in 2026, but in a loaded Western Conference, the Lakers will have to truly earn it this coming season.

Of course, if they can lock the star down with a contract extension in the near future, they will also have other chances to win with him in the years to come, but the 2025-26 campaign is as good a time as any to make a push. It’s an exciting time for Doncic and the Lakers as the NBA offseason rolls on.