Luka has lost so much athleticism at such a young age

[GreatWhiteStiff]

I think he has a legitimate alcohol and smoking issue. There are plenty of sources you can look up where he's been caught overindulging in these activities during his off-time. I remember this one story from a few years ago when he was playing for the national team during the offseason, he was spotted smoking and drinking beers on the days before important games

What do you think these guys do when they say they're going to the clubs etc? You think they're all drinking spring water or something? You think they don't go out...like A LOT.

I tell you what, for all you know he doesn't drink/smoke as much as the next dude in the NBA, but just doesn't put the work in to get it off. Plenty of sauces where he's been caught overindulging. Stop making crap up man.

Oh what? That's insane. He was "spotted", wait for it, smoking, and drinking, on the days BEFORE important games? Quick, someone call the authorities.
So let me get this straight, if someone smoked before, like days as you say, like on a Wednesday when the game is on a Friday or Saturday, then...what?
FFS guys are smoking weed in the NBA on the morning of games.

Weed and cigarettes is different. I am not saying smoking weed before games is fine, but smoking cigarettes as pro athlete is pretty bad I would say, it just something you shouldn't be doing.

It's strange, to me at least, that criticizing smoking before high level athletic events is worthy of some sort of mockery. Does Luka smoke cigarettes or something else?

[Tracymcgoaty]

Trading Luka is completely defendable.

The return they got for Luka was a joke. I bet 99% of casual Lakers fan even think it’s a bad deal for Dallas. Worst deal in NBA history for a superstar at the time of trade.

Im confused. So it wasn't a bad deal for Dallas?

Yes because of the return. It’s the worst trade the NBA based on what they got for Luka.

What?

[flranger]

To me, he just looks sad more than unathletic. I've seen nothing to talk about if he was in a relationship, but you never know. The heart decides, and if he was in love with someone, and it's now compromised he might just be depressed.

[LuckyGreen7]

People with the "lose weight and get in shape during off season" narrative, just stop. You think the elite athletes in the league don't still go hard in the gym all season? Guys who take their fitness and strength seriously, the Jaylen Brown types, go hard year round. With the training staff NBA teams have, next day soreness from lifting isn't a thing for these guys.

[UcanUwill]

What do you think these guys do when they say they're going to the clubs etc? You think they're all drinking spring water or something? You think they don't go out...like A LOT.

I tell you what, for all you know he doesn't drink/smoke as much as the next dude in the NBA, but just doesn't put the work in to get it off. Plenty of sauces where he's been caught overindulging. Stop making crap up man.

Oh what? That's insane. He was "spotted", wait for it, smoking, and drinking, on the days BEFORE important games? Quick, someone call the authorities.
So let me get this straight, if someone smoked before, like days as you say, like on a Wednesday when the game is on a Friday or Saturday, then...what?
FFS guys are smoking weed in the NBA on the morning of games.

Weed and cigarettes is different. I am not saying smoking weed before games is fine, but smoking cigarettes as pro athlete is pretty bad I would say, it just something you shouldn't be doing.

It's strange, to me at least, that criticizing smoking before high level athletic events is worthy of some sort of mockery. Does Luka smoke cigarettes or something else?

Well, because of Dallas, we for sure know he smokes hookah. I imagine that one is not that bad, but I am not sure. If he smokes regular cigarettes, thats pretty bad. I am not saying athletes can only intake healthy food, LeBron himself had those cookies, but come on, you shouldn't be smoking... No one really should be smoking, but in most instances, people aren't professional athletes, so nobody gives a damn you are ruining your lungs and stamina in that process. Tho smoking has to be near the top at things that ruins productivity in basically any job, I have seen so many colleagues who has to take a break all the to smoke.

[wco81]

Well it seemed like he was heartbroken when he was traded.

Maybe he's eating his feelings.

As for women, he has a child doesn't he?

Plus plenty of willing women throwing themselves at him if he wants it.

[bisme37]

As someone who feels old and beat up and slow AF, this is actually cheering me up a bit. Apparently even 26 year old superstar athletes age 20 years in 5 years. I am not alone you guys.

[tsherkin]

As someone who feels old and beat up and slow AF, this is actually cheering me up a bit. Apparently even 26 year old superstar athletes age 20 years in 5 years. I am not alone you guys.

Can you tell the weather better than meteorologists with you knee too?

[UcanUwill]

As someone who feels old and beat up and slow AF, this is actually cheering me up a bit. Apparently even 26 year old superstar athletes age 20 years in 5 years. I am not alone you guys.

Blake Griffin was basically finished by the age of 30, athletically I mean, he still had some skills. These guys just kill their bodies with the amount of physical work they do, especially guys like Luka who play in every FIBA event to boot. So its really not that surprising. I remember when I was younger, we here had a Basketball TV show, and older retired players talked about their health, and I remember them saying they don't want to talk about it, because it would scare future generations from trying to be pro athletes. All these 70s, 80s and 90s guys had very bad legs by the time they filmed that.

[GreatWhiteStiff]

As someone who feels old and beat up and slow AF, this is actually cheering me up a bit. Apparently even 26 year old superstar athletes age 20 years in 5 years. I am not alone you guys.

Hear. Hear.

[dhsilv2]

yes, Luka's conditioning has been a repetitive pattern for years and you always had to wonder if he would ever take an off-season seriously and try and show up.

Hopefully LeBron can instill some discipline into him, it's hard to say though.

Luka when he was young was really quite skinny, he's clearly bulked up on weight but he's also carrying a lot of unnecessary fat too.

I mean, maybe it never holds him back. It's been said that Jokic needed to tone up a little bit, and yet here he is with the same slight flab on his frame and playing a career high 36 mpg.

Jokic slimmed down a good bit a few years ago and it's really improved his game. Wouldn't be shocked to see abs on Jokic these days. Not shredded body builder or elite athlete abs but enough he'd look pretty good at the pool on springbreak.

[dhsilv2]

Weed and cigarettes is different. I am not saying smoking weed before games is fine, but smoking cigarettes as pro athlete is pretty bad I would say, it just something you shouldn't be doing.

It's strange, to me at least, that criticizing smoking before high level athletic events is worthy of some sort of mockery. Does Luka smoke cigarettes or something else?

Well, because of Dallas, we for sure know he smokes hookah. I imagine that one is not that bad, but I am not sure. If he smokes regular cigarettes, thats pretty bad. I am not saying athletes can only intake healthy food, LeBron himself had those cookies, but come on, you shouldn't be smoking... No one really should be smoking, but in most instances, people aren't professional athletes, so nobody gives a damn you are ruining your lungs and stamina in that process. Tho smoking has to be near the top at things that ruins productivity in basically any job, I have seen so many colleagues who has to take a break all the to smoke.

As much as I hate smoking, it wasn't even uncommon 10-15 years ago to see guys on the Tour De France smoking and the reason...nicotine is a performance enhancer. While I certainly won't call smoking healthy. For a young guy who's not had any lung issue yet...it would actually have some benefits before a game as weird as it sounds.

[Mr B]

Im confused. So it wasn't a bad deal for Dallas?

Yes because of the return. It’s the worst trade the NBA based on what they got for Luka.

What?

Mavs could have gotten much more by trading Luka if they had opened it up to the league. The little return they got is the reason a majority of NBA fans believe the league is rigged.

[Raps in 4]

He's just a bit fatter now because he was out with an injury. He always starts the season fat and then plays himself into shape (a lot of guys do that). He was just out for most of this season so he couldn't do that.

[Special_Puppy]

https://youtu.be/dZqo4OZ0Pqs?si=bj7XfuoeB0N9uHce

[xdrta+]

The little return they got is the reason a majority of NBA fans believe the league is rigged.

Surely you mean, 'a majority of conspiracy theorists on RealGM.'

[Special_Puppy]

https://youtu.be/dZqo4OZ0Pqs?si=bj7XfuoeB0N9uHce

[Astaluego]

To me, he just looks sad more than unathletic. I've seen nothing to talk about if he was in a relationship, but you never know. The heart decides, and if he was in love with someone, and it's now compromised he might just be depressed.

I think that naturally, it will take him some time to assimilate the terrible stab that the Mavs gave him with the exchange + all the **** that they threw at him afterwards to justify themselves... next season we will have a better vision of what Luka is going to be like with the Lakers... it strikes me as odd that the guy who had the greatest workload (adding up number of games + usage) in all of world basketball is in such a lamentable state of form as some keyboard warriors claim.

[baller16]

Yeah Luka was 230 lbs his rookie season. He should honestly maintain a weight of no more than 5-10lbs more than 230, but reports are saying he would come into the season at 260 lbs which is ridiculous.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Yes because of the return. It’s the worst trade the NBA based on what they got for Luka.

What?

Mavs could have gotten much more by trading Luka if they had opened it up to the league. The little return they got is the reason a majority of NBA fans believe the league is rigged.

Oh im sorry i was supremely confused because of the first comment that dude made. Either i read it wrong or he wrote it saying it wasn't a bad deal for Dallas.