Feb 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

LeBron James Reveals Biggest Impact of Luka Doncic's Transformation

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 11:59 AM ET

Luka Doncic made headlines during the offseason due to his slimmer image.

Before the Los Angeles Lakers star suited up for Slovenia at EuroBasket, Doncic was going viral for being “skinny Luka.” His superstar Lakers teammate, LeBron James, dished his thoughts on one of the Lakers’ biggest storylines of the summer.

“He looks good, man… He looks good…. He looks good,” LeBron said on ‘Mind the Game’.

Weeks before the Lakers met for training camp, Doncic was playing high-level basketball overseas for Slovenia. LeBron was tapped in, and offered his thoughts on what he saw out of his teammate.

“I think the movement. I watched a lot of the EuroBasket this summer,” said James. “I watched his team a lot, obviously, him being my teammate and, you know, him seeing how he can carry a Slovenian team to whatever heights. And he did, I mean, he was right there, you know, with Germany in the semis, but it just looks, obviously, a little bit quicker. A little bit more functional.”

NBA fans might see a new-look Luka and assume there will be a change in his game. LeBron doesn’t believe it will be as straightforward as that. Doncic was already dominant, no matter what his weight was at. The NBA superstar believes there is a behind-the-scenes factor that will benefit Doncic.

“I think what a lot of people will not see is the recovery,” LeBron stated. “Now, I think when your body is in top-tier shape and you feel so much better, it's not the actual game. It’s not like Luka’s game is going to change. … I think for him, personally, I think what’s gonna change is he’s gonna see how he wakes up the next day after three or four nights, he’s gonna be like, ‘Oh man.’ You’ve built this up. You built this body up, and it’s gonna be so beneficial to you and your recovery process and your energy. I’m super duper proud of him.”

LEBRON & LUKA

Year 2 of this superstar duo in purple & gold! pic.twitter.com/LYNwdACaBz
— NBA (@NBA) September 30, 2025

Being in the NBA since 2018, Luka hasn’t averaged under 21 points per game. He was a budding superstar at 19 during his rookie year and transitioned into an All-Star as a sophomore. In his final full season with the Dallas Mavericks, Luka averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds.

During his 28-game stretch with the Lakers last year, Luka averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists. The Lakers have fully invested into Luka being the present and the future face of the team. LeBron believes that Luka’s transformation should help him find better health for 2025-2026 and beyond.