"Not everything is jumping high": Luka Doncic gets brutally honest on athletic traits, claims vertical could be higher than rookie year

Luka Doncic's drastic physical transformation could lead to many changes in the LA Lakers superstar's game. While Doncic has never been considered the most athletic NBA player in the room, he had a significantly more explosive rookie year, highlighted by his quickness and dunking ability.

As he's grown older, his rim-running blow-bys have reduced. However, we may get to see that again. With Doncic committing to a strict regimen this offseason to work on his fitness and conditioning, the five-time NBA All-Star believes he may have a higher vertical reach than his rookie year. Doncic had a 42-inch recorded vertical in 2019.

However, Doncic doesn't only lean on that. While working on getting slimmer and quicker this offseason, Doncic maintained his ability to stay balanced and hit the brakes when needed. Here's what he said about his offseason workout on these aspects in an interview with Men's Health:

"Not everything is jumping high. I think I’m very athletic in other stuff. Balancing, controlling my body, what I do when I stop, slowing down."

He spoke about his 42-inch vertical in his rookie year and the comparison right now:

"This year, we didn’t measure the jumping yet. But I think it’s a little bit higher."

Luka Doncic is already equipped with a tremendous skillset on the perimeter and in the post. However, if his workouts allow him to move like he did in his rookie year and get to the rim at will, his opponents will have a lot to worry about this upcoming season.

Luka Doncic yet to find out if his revamped offseason workouts will work on the court

Luka Doncic is yet to test out his revamped self on the court in a competitive setting. He hasn't played 5-on-5, but that opportunity will come soon when he suits up for Slovenia in August at the EuroBasket. For now, Doncic is confident that he's feeling the best he has in several years.

His past few offseasons have not been as centered around his conditioning. Doncic has been playing basketball every offseason since the 2022 EuroBasket, featuring in the 2023 FIBA Club World Cup, 2024 Paris Olympics qualifiers and now the 2025 EuroBasket.

However, he didn't have much time to rest and recover during the last three tournaments. This summer, Doncic had three months to figure out a structure to get in shape before he hits the court for competitive action.