“Going Through His (Nikola) Jokic Phase”: No More ‘Hookah’ for the Mavericks Star, as Luka Doncic’s Latest Picture Dumbfounds NBA Twitter

Luka Doncic has danced among stars at a young age and has already become an MVP-level player. He has been up to a lot during the offseason as he looks to build his legacy further. After a disheartening 2022-23 season that saw his team not even make the Playoffs, he has his work cut out. The Superstar signed a $215 million contract before the 2022-23 season and he will need to prove he is worth it again. Indeed, if there is someone who can back up the money in their contract, it is the Slovenian phenom.

The Mavs’ Guard generates a lot of interest in social media considering his peaking popularity. This time he was in the limelight for reasons he can be proud of and savor.

Luka Doncic draws comparison to Nikola Jokic

The Guard looked slimmed down in his recent photo and it appears he has put in a lot of work to correct the trajectory of his team. This naturally drew comparisons to Nikola Jokic, who has put in tremendous work to trim down. In 2020, the two-time MVP made rounds on the internet after his photos of weight loss went viral. There was some skepticism about his weight loss, as his game in the early years relied upon low-block strength. However, now we know how the transformation has propelled him into the NBA championship round amidst a vast collection of accolades. 

For Luka Doncic, the season ended on 10th April when the Mavericks failed to make the Play in tournament. They had already lost the will a week ago before the regular season folded. However, for the Guard, this was another stupendous season, and he was even in the MVP conversation in the early parts. He posted a career-high average of 32.4 points per game which stamps his authority as one of the best players of the decade already. 

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This season, his personal accolades couldn’t translate into anything special for the team as they struggled to even win 40 games. It seems like the Guard is more into body transformation than hookah. A couple of years ago, “Hookah Doncic” trended on social media as his photos smoking a hookah went viral. This time, he is making rounds for something more special. 

Fans react to the new version of Doncic

Social media users commented upon the recent weight loss of the highly gifted PG.

A user quickly drew comparisons to Nikola Jokic.

Another user commented that this is a warning sign for the league.

One of them predicted an MVP season.

A couple of commenters suggested that it is the diet change that has helped.

The guard is thinking about taking his already superb playing style to yet another level. It seems like he has been working on his body ever since the offseason began. He made a trip from Dallas to his Slovenian city Ljubljana, a flight that famously cost him $150,000. 

It seems like the trip has been worth it. Will all this translate into a deep Playoff run next season? 

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