Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic shut down claims he used Ozempic to lose weight while showing off his new trimmed offseason look on the cover of Men’s Health magazine
Luka Doncic flat out denied using Ozempic to aid his offseason transformation(Image: NBC’s 3rd Hour )
Luka Doncic has officially responded to viral accusations about his offseason body transformation and the Los Angeles Lakers star is denying all claims that he didn’t shred weight naturally.
The All-NBA guard appeared Tuesday on NBC’s ‘3rd Hour Today’ to promote his new Men’s Health cover story. The story features a visibly smaller Doncic lifting a dumbbell in Jordan gear beside a headline that reads, “Luka Doncic muscles up, the skinny on the Lakers star’s summer shred.”
But while the magazine highlighted his strict fitness routine and mental reset, and new food choices outside of a dinner with coach J.J. Redick, many weren’t focused on the feature but the rumors made by NBA fans and carried on throughout the media that Doncic used the drug Ozempic to shrink in size.
When asked directly on live TV if he took Ozempic, Doncic offered a simple answer. He shook his head and said “No,” and then the conversation shifted to a new topic.
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That one-word denial comes after weeks of speculation online and a steady stream of conspiracy-laced reactions from sports media figures and fans. On a recent Nightcap livestream, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and ex-Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson (Ochocinco) questioned the timeline of Doncic’s transformation.
“They’ve been out of season, what, three, two months?” Johnson said. “If that. It ain’t been that long for him to lose all that weight like that. He probably took that Olympic (Ozempic) stuff, I’m telling you.”
Sharpe laughed, but neither denied the insinuation.
The clip immediately went viral, especially after Doncic was heavily criticized for a lack of conditioning in Dallas.
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Doncic’s reputation in Dallas was beloved by former team owner Mark Cuban, who recognized his elite NBA talent that was never in question. However, his commitment to fitness, conditioning, and defense saw reports emerge that suggested friction between Doncic and team staff regarding his preparation and body maintenance.
When he was traded to the Lakers in a blockbuster deal last year, the shock move was seen by many as a culture shift for both sides and was referred to as the worst trade in NBA history.
Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison shouldered the fault placed on him by the fanbase, which led to consistent “Fire Nico” chants during games since the deal, and even during the NBA Draft lottery. But he insisted that the decision was rooted in the philosophy that “defense wins championships.”
The trade ultimately benefited both parties.
Doncic got to lace up and hit the floor with his idol, LeBron James, during a playoff run, and the Mavericks would get their desired defense from Anthony Davis, who was traded in return.
The move would also lead to the Mavericks earning the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and selecting highly touted prospect Cooper Flagg to add to the core of Davis and Kyrie Irving.