Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić may have changed his body, but according to Kendrick Perkins, the real transformation started in his mindset, and it just might lead to being the 2026 NBA MVP.
Just months after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers, Dončić reshaped his frame with two-a-day workouts, a strict diet, and a month-long reset from basketball. But now, analysts are pointing to something deeper driving his resurgence: motivation.
On a recent episode of Road Trippin’, Perkins credited Dončić for embracing criticism in the way former Celtics great Kevin Garnett once advised him to do.
“Don’t just click on the internet when people are talking good about you,” Garnett once told Perkins. “Get on there when people are talking bad about you. Listen to the haters… and respond.”
Perkins believes Dončić has done exactly that.
“It’s gonna be a problem this year for the rest of the league,” Perkins said. “I believe Luka Dončić took the disrespect into the offseason, and I applaud it.”
Kendrick Perkins Says Luka Dončić “Deserved the Disrespect”
Dončić posted 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game last season, despite not being fully healthy. But those numbers weren’t enough to quiet critics—including Perkins himself.
“I was one of the ones who disrespected Luka because, hey, it was valid,” Perkins admitted. “He deserved disrespect for being out of shape, for not sliding those puppies in on the defensive side of things.”
Since the season ended, Dončić’s physical transformation has gone viral, with photos of his leaner frame spreading rapidly on social media. The change has already earned praise from his Lakers teammates and sparked early MVP buzz from oddsmakers and insiders alike.
Perkins made his position clear.
“If you’re a Laker fan, you ought to be excited to see your new franchise player putting in that work,” he said. “Luka, the first step of winning the Laker franchise and fanbase over—you have done it. By the way, he’s my early pick for MVP.”
A “Chip on His Shoulder” Season?
Perkins isn’t the only analyst predicting a massive year from Dončić. Chris Broussard recently likened the transformation to Michael Jordan’s post-criticism eras, while Jeff Teague emphasized the physical toll injuries took on Dončić in Dallas as a separate catalyst for change.
Regardless of the exact cause, one thing is clear. Luka Dončić appears fully locked in. As Perkins put it: “He took the disrespect to heart.”
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