Luka Dončić invited his physical trainer on vacation this summer: “This is a sign of different thinking”

Anže Maček, who has been working with Luka Dončić and the Slovenian national team during the offseason the last couple of years, believes that the Dallas Mavericks superstar is in the process of taking the steps to reach the next level in his career:

“Shortly after his arrival from Dallas, we had a frank conversation. We realized that the time we have at our disposal is a great advantage. I told him that he can silence all negative and malicious comments for good this summer. He quickly told me that it doesn’t even touch him,” Anže said to the Slovenian media Sportklub this weekend.

According to his physical trainer, Luka is not just motivated to get as far as possible with the Slovenian national team during the World Cup, he is also fueled by the disappointing result at EuroBasket 2022 (when Slovenia lost to Poland in the quarterfinals), as well as how the NBA season ended:

“He was extremely motivated. He wanted to do something. He is also driven by the last two experiences. As if he would like to make amends for the result at EuroBasket 2022, even if he was not to blame for the wasted opportunity. The unfolding of the NBA season also fueled him.”

This determination led the 24 year old, who probably had the longest break from basketball this summer in his professional career, to invite Anže on his vacation in Croatia over the summer, instead of taking a break and working out by himself. Luka even rented a training facility, which all indicates a very different approach than in the past:

“This is a sign of different thinking. He himself assessed that it would be a shame to waste the work invested in the previous two months. He combined the pleasant with the useful. He had excellent working conditions. He trained in the morning and had time for himself in the afternoon.” Anže said.

And Anže Maček has been in contact with the coaches of the Dallas Mavericks since the end of the NBA season, to make sure he had all the necessary information and assessment of the areas for further development.

“The goal is key. This is a well-prepared and better Luka Dončić. In Dallas, they were happy to hear about how seriously he took the job. I repeat, he wants to take a step forward in his sports journey.”

And Anže confirms that Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd was happy with what he saw, when he visited Ljubljana earlier this summer:

“The delegation from Dallas, which visited Ljubljana, was also able to see for itself. Here was not only the head coach Jason Kidd, but also the head of physical therapy and the person responsible for conditioning.”

Now, the focus is to make sure that the level of conditioning and good habits remain to start the NBA season and beyond. Though Luka Dončić doesn’t care what the media says about his weight whatsoever or about the latest talk about skinny or fat Luka, it does mean a lot to him to maintain this level of fitness throughout the year:

“We don’t work so that it shows in photos. He will have to show good fitness on the field and maintain it. Even in the USA, he will have to make sure that there are no drops in physical fitness. Therefore, a lot of work awaits him even after the end of the national team campaign. He will have to maintain the way of life he built in Slovenia.”

Find more information about the upcoming World Cup, Luka Dončić and Slovenia her.