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.

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. But there’s no denying that a drop in his performance this season can be quite concerning. In his first 22 games last season, the 5x All-Star had averaged 30+ points per game. Although he’s quite strong this season too with his 28.1 ppg, but admittedly below where he was last season.

LeBron James’ close friend shares words of advice to counter weight-related issues for Luka Doncic

The NBA world is still scratching its head over the Mavericks’ bold decision to move on from a 25-year-old superstar with Hall-of-Famer potential. Doncic’s talent is undeniable, but now that he’s wearing the purple and gold with the Los Angeles Lakers, the spotlight has only gotten brighter. And so did the criticism around his conditioning issues. Enter Cuff The Legend, a diehard Lakers fan and close friend of LeBron James, who had some unfiltered advice for the Slovenian star that he wouldn’t want to ignore.

“Your boys called you fat, Luka,” Cuffs said straight up on his Instagram story, pulling no punches. Imagine hearing that after being the face of a franchise. He even pointed out how Mavericks GM Nico Harrison basically labeled Doncic a fat boy. Cuffs didn’t sugarcoat it: “They said you’re out of shape. They say you’re washed and that at 25, you don’t take the game serious.” That’s the kind of talk that can light a fire under any athlete.

But Cuffs wasn’t just dishing out criticism. He laid down the blueprint for Luka to shut the doubters up—starting with his diet. Cuffs The Legend stated the Slovenian basketball star will have to stay away from In-N-Out burgers, taco trucks, and burger stands.

“Stay away… Nothing but vegan cauliflower, tree bar nuggets, greek yogurt, sh*t like that,” Cuffs advised. He further urged Luka Doncic to get in the gym with LeBron James at 5 in the morning and get himself some muscle definition. “Let’s win the f***ing chip, Luka,” Cuffs expressed his confidence in the 5x All-Star. It’s clear that whatever the criticism may be, expectations are still huge from Luka Doncic.