Luka Doncic trying to train like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic recently spoke about his focus on his conditioning and improved physique ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, and he shared that three legends helped play a role in inspiring him.

Doncic revealed in an interview with Men’s Health magazine that his former teammate Dirk Nowitzki, as well as legendary guards Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, had qualities that he admired that helped them dominate late in their careers.

So, Doncic plans to continue evolving his offseason formula in order to maintain his own dominance in the NBA.

“MJ and Kobe, you know, they really did a lot in their careers,” Doncic said. “They sacrificed a lot.”

As a rookie, Doncic had a front-row seat in Dallas to watch Nowitzki train, even though the Hall of Famer was in the final season of his NBA career.

Now, with a renewed desire to improve his physical fitness, Doncic appears to be aiming to follow in the path of some of the greatest players in league history.

Bryant famously had an amazing career with the Lakers, winning five titles with the franchise and a regular-season MVP award. He became one of the most recognizable figures in Lakers history during his playing career, and even though he passed away in January of 2020, Bryant and his legacy live on.

If Doncic can have anywhere near the career that Bryant had in Los Angeles, he will likely go down as one of the greatest Lakers as well.

Jordan, a six-time champion and widely regarded as one of the two greatest players to ever play the game of basketball, is another great player for Doncic to emulate. Lakers fans have to be excited that their superstar guard is focused on maintaining his standing as one of the top players in the league for much longer than just the next few seasons.

During the 2024-25 season, Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc.

He was acquired by the Lakers in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks prior to the trade deadline, and he helped Los Angeles earn the No. 3 seed in the West and make the playoffs.

While the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs, their future looks bright with Doncic on the roster. The five-time All-Star is eligible to sign a contract extension with the franchise this offseason, and it seems clear that he’s putting his best foot forward ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Hopefully, Doncic’s commitment to his fitness will continue deep into his career, and he’ll be able to emulate some of the legends that inspired him to improve his offseason plan.