Los Angeles isn’t done making moves this summer to improve their franchise and make sure Luka Dončić has everything he needs for success.
He appears to be in great shape thanks to his insane summer workouts and now, according to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers are adding former Mavericks athletic performance director, Jeremy Holsopple, as their new head strength and conditioning coach.
The Lakers’ decision to bring on Holsopple is another example of L.A. doing whatever it takes to make Luka comfortable. ESPN reported back in February that Holsopple was a favorite of Luka, and Dallas’ firing of him and other staffers was part of a slow process towards their shocking breakup.
Hopefully, with Luka clearly in tip-top shape and reunited with a coach he can trust, it will lead to Dončić staying committed to his health.
Fitness has been a key focus for the Lakers all offseason.
Head coach JJ Redick emphasized the team’s need to be in “championship shape” during his exit interview. So far, Luka has been holding his end of the bargain, and the Lakers are making the appropriate investments in this department to set him up for success.
Last year, Luka was plagued by a left calf strain that took him out of a lot of games. He only participated in 50 contests, making him ineligible for end-of-season awards.
Now that Luka has a longer offseason, is in good shape and has an old friend as the new Lakers head strength and conditioning coach, hopefully, he can stay fit and available for the 2025-26 NBA season.
This move also signals to Luka that, as long as it’s reasonable, the Lakers will do whatever it takes to keep their franchise player happy. He now has another person he believes in on the staff who more than qualifies for the position.
Holsopple has decades of experience working with professional athletes. He was with the Mavericks organization for over ten years.
Before his time in the NBA, he spent four years as the sports performance coach for the New York Red Bulls. Holsopple has also worked with the NFL, Arena Football League, University of Kentucky, Florida Atlantic University and University of Mississippi as a performance coach.