"That Ozempic kicks in quick" - Arenas accuses Doncic of using weight-loss drug to get in shape
Luka Doncic's stunning body transformation has left everyone in awe. In just two months, the Slovenian shed the "Fat Luka" image and landed on the cover of "Men's Health" magazine.
While most people are praising him for his determination to get in shape, former Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas believes that Doncic turned into "Slim Luka" with the help of a weight-loss drug.
"Let's just be honest, man. The fact he showed you with enough time of rest that Ozempic kicks in quick. Listen, I heard all the soups and s–t and you know he eat this, he eat that. Cool, right? All it takes is a boop shot every week, and you like that. So he's willing to do whatever it takes to get down," said Arenas.
Not the first time that Ozempic was mentioned with Luka
Ozempic is a prescription drug primarily used as an anti-diabetic medication. According to ozempic.com, a once-a-week injection of the medicine, coupled with the proper diet and exercise, can improve blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. However, because it can suppress hunger and promote the feeling of fullness, doctors use it off-label for weight loss.
Curiously, Arenas isn't the first to link Doncic's incredible transformation to Ozempic. During his recent appearance on "Good Morning America", host Craig Melvin recklessly asked Luka if he took Ozempic shots, and he just nodded his head before saying "no."
In the "Men's Health" featured article, Luka attributed his weight loss to a strict diet, exercise, and hard work. He said he did not touch a basketball for a month to focus on his body, and since June, Doncic has been on an intermittent fasting plan aimed at limiting inflammation and helping his body recover faster.It won't make Luka a better defender
However, while Gil questions how Luka got there, he does not doubt that with his Ozempic-aided body, he will dominate the league like never before. Arenas said if Doncic could lead the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals and average 30 points per game, there's no question he'll easily post a 39-9-9 stat line next season. However, Agent Zero says he doesn't believe the Slovenian's new physique will make him a better defender.
"Now, the fact that he was doing what he was doing, while he was fat. What do you think he's gonna do to these ni—s now? He's about to go ham. I don't want to hear nothing about no defense, okay? He's not losing weight to play no defense. He lost weight to see if they can play some defense," he added.
Fat or not, Luka's ability to playmake and score points was never questioned. It was his defense that everyone frowned at. In his press conference, Doncic joked that new teammate Marcus Smart will help with some tips on that end of the court, but Gil said that "Slim Luka" won't become a better defender. However, it will make him a more dangerous offensive weapon.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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4 hours ago
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Wegovy's 'favored status' Analysts are also eager to hear management's thoughts on CVS Health 's policy of giving favored status to Wegovy over Lilly's Zepbound. The policy went into effect in July and means CVS Health's pharmacy benefit manager Caremark will prioritize Wegovy on its list of covered drugs. It has the potential to be a headwind for Lilly. However, patients may seek exemptions and remain on the weight loss drug or pay out of pocket on their own or via Lilly Direct, the company's direct-to-consumer website. Also, there is the possibility Lilly will strike a deal and get back on CVS Caremark's list of covered medications, analysts said. According to Bernstein analyst Courtney Breen, the first few weeks of the switch showed that patients changing from Zepbound to Wegovy was eclipsed by the number of patients starting the drug with a new prescription. 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We think this is particularly noteworthy given vials from LillyDirect now represent ~20% of TRx [total prescriptions] and highlight increasing potential for a consumer angle in GLP-1 sales … driving uptake going forward (2Q25e $3.1B; +$99M vs. BBG cons). [Type 2 diabetes drug] Mounjaro scripts rose 16.3% q/q and now captures 42.2% share (2Q25e $4.5B; +$18M vs. cons); though slower growth than Zepbound, this is expected given the more entrenched nature of the type 2 diabetes market. … Top of mind for investors will be orforglipron's phase 3 ATTAIN readouts for obesity (Jul/Aug). Weight loss of 12-15% is the efficacy bar and continuation of a squeaky-clean safety profile that we saw at ADA for ACHIEVE … will be paramount." Morgan Stanley: Overweight, $1,135 In early July, Morgan Stanley analyst Terence Flynn tweaked his price target, increasing it to $1,135 from $1,133. The target suggests 48% upside. "In our view the magnitude of potential Mounjaro+Zepbound 2Q beat will dictate how LLY handles 2025 revenue guidance of $58-$61bn (MS $62.3bn vs. Cons $59.8bn), but we expect a raise of the low end at a minimum. LLY could also release Orfor Ph3 obesity and/or SURPASS-CVOT data in conjunction with earnings. … Interim Ph3 data for LLY's Kisunla in preclinical Alzheimer's (potentially later this year) could be a de-risking event for treating earlier in the disease course and expand the opportunity for the category, as well as provide lateral read-through to BIIB/Eisai's Leqembi (where Ph3 is also ongoing)" Bernstein: Outperform, $1,100 Bernstein, Wells Fargo and JPMorgan all have a $1,100 price target for Lilly's stock, which suggests it could rise nearly 44% from Tuesday's close. "We again see the potential for a meet or beat … , driven by Mounjaro & Zepbound performance. Given most of the street follow scripts closely in the US, the upside here arises from additional unexpected pricing (rebate adjustments), underreporting in IQVIA (a possibility), and ex-US performance (due to lower visibility). … Despite the potential for a top-line beat (we see potential for modest 1.2% beat above consensus at 14.6B), we don't anticipate LLY will be rushing to increase guidance, given last years back half challenges and the uncertainty for Q3 that remains on CVS caremark (although initial signs look strong)." Wells Fargo: Overweight, $1,100 "NVO lowering their guidance on Ozempic and Wegovy headwinds could be limited to NVO itself, as they cite continued compounding, competition, and slower market expansion. We believe LLY guidance can be raised on strong underlying trends. … Therefore, we would be buyers of LLY on the weakness since we expect a strong 2Q and a catalyst-rich 2H'25." JPMorgan: Overweight, $1,100 "Overall, we are expecting a solid 2Q for LLY with upside to Mounjaro/Zepbound (based on strong TRx growth trends), and we estimate total sales in the qtr of $14.8bn (+$370mm vs cons). On the EPS line, we are slightly below consensus ($5.49, -$0.06) as we expect a continued opex ramp to support a growing late stage pipeline and [direct-to consumer] initiatives. Looking forward, we expect some moderation in Zepbound growth as the CVS formulary change takes effect on July 1 but expect the product to still grow TRx in 3Q and accelerate in 4Q. And for the year, our estimates are near the high end of the company's 2025 guidance on both topline ($60.8bn sales, +$1.3bn vs cons) and the bottomline ($22.09 EPS, +$0.07 vs cons) and we would not be surprised to see LLY raise guidance at some point in 2025 (although the company may take a more conservative approach on the timing/magnitude of the increases given 2024 guidance dynamics)." Goldman Sachs: Buy, $883 Haider's $883 price target is about 15% above where Lilly shares closed on Tuesday. " … we expect another revenue beat, driven by an [foreign exchange] tailwind and strong TRx growth for Zepbound/Mounjaro where our and consensus estimates have tracked higher into the print. ... Into the 2Q earnings call, we also note significant investor discussion on the magnitude of potential upward pressure on the company's FY25 revenue guidance where we expect management could tighten the range of $58-$61bn for the year by bumping up the low-end (based on 1H trends, GS/consensus estimates are $60bn/$60.6bn for 2025). These trends are now well-understood with investor focus higher on trying to triangulate the impact to 3Q25 sales for Zepbound/Mounjaro from the CVS formulary change in favor of Novo that took effect on July 1st."
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Ozempic May Help Prevent This Medical Emergency, According To New Research
You've probably heard by now that Ozempic may do much more than *just* help you lose weight and manage your blood sugar. Along with lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease, tamping down PCOS symptoms, and combating a slew of other serious health conditions, three new studies suggest that the medication could help prevent and treat stroke. It may seem like a random link, but doctors say it actually makes a lot of sense. We tapped two neurologists and a doctor who prescribes Ozempic for more details. Meet the experts: Clifford Segil, DO, is a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA; Amit Sachdev, MD, is the medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University; Mir Ali, MD, is medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA What do the studies say? All three studies were recently presented at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's annual meeting, and they have a common theme. The first was published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. For the study, researchers analyzed data from a global database and a database from the University of Wisconsin, looking at more than 2 million people who had a stroke. Of those, nearly 44,000 were also on Ozempic. The researchers found that people who took Ozempic were less likely to die from stroke, and the differences were huge. In the global database, 5.26 percent of Ozempic users initially died from their strokes, compared to 21.6 percent of those who didn't take the medication. The University of Wisconsin group had similar results: 5.26 percent of Ozempic users died from stroke compared to 26.6 percent of those who didn't take the medication. The next study was also published in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. It looked at ER records for people who had a stroke and those who were likely using Ozempic. (The researchers looked at medical codes that usually suggest a patient is on Ozempic, but couldn't definitively say they were taking the medication.) The researchers found that people who likely used Ozempic had both a lower risk of stroke and a lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those who didn't take the medication. For the final study, researchers analyzed patient records from six months and 12 months after people had a brain hemorrhage, and a year and two years after having a stroke. The researchers discovered that people who used a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication like Ozempic had a lower risk of cognitive side effects, seizures, future brain bleeds, and death after a brain hemorrhage and stroke. Why might Ozempic help prevent or treat stroke? All of these studies found a link between people who took Ozempic and a lower risk of having stroke or serious complications from a stroke. But it's important to point out that they didn't prove taking Ozempic will have this effect. That said, there are a few reasons why Ozempic may have this impact. It could simply be tied to weight, says Amit Sachdev, MD, medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University. 'Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular health,' he says. 'Reducing excess weight is expected to have a clear and positive impact on overall health, including cardiovascular health.' Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, agrees. 'Lowering a person's weight lowers a person's fats circulating through their blood or their lipid level,' he explains. 'High lipid levels, or fats, circulating through your blood can cause clogged pipes in your brain or an ischemic stroke.' But Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists also help improve a range of health conditions that are linked with stroke, points out Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. 'It's hard to say if this is due to improvement in blood sugar control, weight loss, or other health conditions,' he says. More ways to lower your risk of stroke Taking Ozempic isn't for everyone, and doctors stress that we're not quite there yet with actually recommending the medication to lower your risk of stroke. If you want to lower your risk of stroke, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends taking these steps: Focus on your diet. That means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and minimizing foods high in saturated fats, trans fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Try to maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or having obesity increases the risk of stroke, Dr. Ali points out. Move regularly. Getting at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity can help. Don't smoke. Smoking is a big risk factor for stroke. Limit . Men should have no more than two drinks a day, while women should have no more than one, per the CDC. However, doctors generally recommend having even less. Do your best to manage underlying health conditions. That includes cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure, and heart disease—all of which are risk factors for stroke. Of course, if you have a family history of stroke or personal risk factors, it's important to talk to a healthcare professional. They can offer personalized guidance to help keep you healthy. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
