Luka Doncic Reacts to Ex-Teammate’s Surprise Retirement After Confirming Weight Transformation in Latest Appearance

Most of us know Luka Doncic from his early days with the Dallas Mavericks. A skinny Slovenian kid trying to make his name in the NBA spotlight. However, his grind started way before arriving in the United States. Doncic honed his craft with Spanish outfit Real Madrid. If you’re not aware, Doncic joined the prestigious Madrid basketball program aged just 13!

However, it did not take long for him to make his professional debut. Doncic made his first appearance for Real Madrid as a 16-year-old, which set the record for the youngest player to ever touch the court for a Spanish team. During his three years with Madrid, he teamed up with several big names, but one stood out among them all.

Suiting up for Real Madrid at such a tender age is a dream for many kids across Europe, but Doncic was living it. Over the years, the Slovenian prodigy played with several great players, including Spanish icon Sergio Llull. The Madrid veteran firmly established himself as a legend for the club during his 18-year journey with the team. Along the way, he also spent some time with Doncic, teaching him several skills that we see him perform today. However, Llull made a massive announcement on Tuesday. The 37-year-old officially announced his retirement from the Spanish National Team through a heartfelt post on Instagram.

“I want to announce that I have decided to put an end to my time as a player of the Spanish National Team. It has been an honor and a true privilege to wear the national team jersey summer after summer,” Llull’s message read. He talked about his journey with the national team, while he also thanked all the people who have helped him throughout the years. The three-time EuroLeague champion, however, cleared the air around his commitment to Real Madrid. Several reactions poured in from all around the world on Sergio Llull’s announcement. This gave his former teammate and Lakers superstar, Luka Doncic to express his emotions. “” Doncic commented.

Although the 26-year-old did not write any words, his love and appreciation for the Spanish legend were felt through his emojis. Luka Doncic also posted Llull’s Instagram post on his story to further showcase his respect. This isn’t the first time Doncic has expressed his views about the Real Madrid star. Back in 2019, Doncic said, “I think he’s the best player outside of the NBA, he has the level to be [an NBA player].” This goes to show the level of mutual respect and understanding between two former teammates and basketball icons. This could also be a reason why he was seen attending a Real Madrid game.

Luka Doncic turns heads with his latest courtside appearance

There has been a lot of talk about Luka Doncic’s weight throughout the season, especially since the day he landed in Southern California. While reportedly he gained a significant amount of weight during his trade from the Mavericks, he then got back in shape and even performed great for the Lakers in his first season. Doncic averaged 28.2 points, along with 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists in the regular season. However, as the Lakers got knocked out of the postseason, head coach JJ Redick emphasized that his team got in shape. Although he did not take any names, many believed that it was a subtle shot at the 26-year-old point guard.

It seems that ever since Doncic has been a man on a mission. While he did drop hints through stories of him working out in the gym and his fiancée preparing healthy food for him, nobody imagined the results would come this soon. On Sunday, Luka Doncic was spotted courtside, watching a game of his former team, Real Madrid, where he received a standing ovation from the crowd.

As he watched his beloved teammate Sergio Llull and the rest of the Madrid players cruise to a win, the fans noticed a huge difference in Doncic’s appearance. Indeed, the Lakers star appeared much slimmer, and that too within a month of being eliminated from he playoffs.

Fans and media could not help but praise Luka Doncic’s amazing effort. This is also great news for the Lakers, who were a bit worried about Doncic being frequently injured. Moreover, this is a huge step for Doncic, who is being viewed as the new cornerstone of the franchise. That is a part reasons why the front office has been so adamant on getting the 26-year-old superstar back into shape. It will be interesting to see how much Doncic improves over the summer as a huge offseason awaits the Los Angeles superstar, who looks to win his first title with the Lakers in the upcoming season.

The post Luka Doncic Reacts to Ex-Teammate’s Surprise Retirement After Confirming Weight Transformation in Latest Appearance appeared first on EssentiallySports.