The unseen weapon powering Luka Doncic’s career-defining season

Luka Doncic decided this summer would be different – that he would become a new kind of player on the eve of one of the most important seasons of his career. Training came first, even before joining Slovenia for EuroBasket, which runs from August 27 to September 14.

The 6ft 6in, 26-year-old guard has delivered on that promise. In an in-depth feature in Men’s Health, he unveiled a striking physical transformation. Stronger, leaner, more sculpted. Slimmed down and re-energized. His progress has been built on training, recovery, and new eating habits – but also on a hidden gift that makes him so difficult to stop.

Strength over speed for Doncic

“His eccentric strength is outstanding. His strength overall is exceptional – he has incredibly strong legs. And with such a low center of gravity, once he bends into position, he’s almost impossible to move,” explained physiotherapist Javier Barrio, who first met him during his youth career at Real Madrid.

In practical terms, that means Doncic can absorb impact in an instant. That eccentric strength allows him to stop on a dime and change direction with remarkable sharpness – and a little faster than his defenders. “And when you’re as lethal as he is on the court, that’s all the time you need,” noted Andrew Heffernan, the article’s author, describing the Slovenian as “a demon of deceleration.”

It’s no small thing. Deceleration has been identified as one of the least appreciated keys to athletic greatness. Elite players often hide, beneath the surface, an extraordinary set of brakes – like Doncic’s – that make their changes of pace unstoppable. He doesn’t need to be the fastest. He has conquered the game with eccentric strength.

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