“Evil tongues also appear very quickly; Maybe they are trying to get to him” - Luka Doncic’s kinesiologist hits back at critics of Dallas Mavericks star’s physique
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has had a sensational NBA career. The only criticism he has received is for his health. Doncic isn't necessarily injury-prone but isn't always in tip-top shape. He is someone who uses training camp to get in shape rather than show up in shape.
Anze Macek is a kinesiologist working with Doncic for the past two years. He recently spoke in an interview about the Slovenian's off-season training this year. With his commitment to the national team to fulfill, Doncic has not had the entire offseason to prepare for the upcoming NBA season.
"Shortly after the end of the season, he contacted me and said that he wanted to start fitness training immediately. Together with Goran Dragic, they worked for three weeks. The national team action followed. When he went on vacation, he asked me for a work plan," Macek said.
"He remains active. I am in contact with him almost on a daily basis. He keeps his shape. He will improve everything during the national team practices where he will prepare with maximum effort," Macek said.
Luka Doncic is often scrutinized by the media and the public when pictures surface of him on vacation. People quickly pointed out how the Mavericks superstar isn't in shape.
"Luka is a global star. In plain sight. People follow him every step of the way, as far as possible. Therefore, evil tongues also appear very quickly. Maybe they are trying to get to him by commenting on each photo," Macek said.
Luka Doncic se entrena en Ljubljana con su personal trainer Anze Macek. https://t.co/N9TxX215Yb
Luka Doncic's MVP-caliber season
While Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic competed in the MVP race for the 2021-22 NBA season, Luka Dončić has gone under the radar. Jokic won the prestigious award, but the Slovenian had a tremendous season.
Luka Doncic finished the season averaging 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. He shot the ball better than 45% from the field and nearly 36% from the perimeter. It was a career-high efficiency from beyond the arc, and he recorded 44 double-doubles and 10 triple-doubles.
Luka Dončić is the 4th player in NBA history (Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy) with multiple 45-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist games in a calendar month and the 1st since Wilt Chamberlain in January 1966. https://t.co/gIuRwAZdh9
The Slovenian had 15 games with 35 or more points during the regular season and 13 games with 12 or more assists. These numbers testify to Doncic's innate ability to get his teammates involved and score at any point during the game.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Had his team managed a better seeding, he would have been in the MVP race with Jokic and Embiid.
Luka Doncic's numbers improved in the postseason, leading the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference finals. The Slovenian averaged 31.7 points in the postseason, with 9.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists. He shot better than 45% from the field.