Latest news with #Eurobasket


The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Luka Doncic Men's Health story shows Lakers star's new physique
"Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better," Doncic told the magazine. Our digital cover star, Luka Doncic, ready to take his game (and the Lakers) to new levels of dominance. And this summer shred has been years in the — Men's Health Mag (@MensHealthMag) July 28, 2025 As Doncic has become one of the best players in the NBA, he has also been criticized for his weight and conditioning. Working closely in the offseason with a training staff that that includes a physiotherapist and nutritionist, Doncic wants to be in the best shape of his life for the 2025-26 season. His dietary regimen includes fasting nearly 16 consecutive hours a day while consuming a high-protein, low-carb nutritional program that includes whey protein shakes. His workout plan includes weight lifting, resistance-band routines, agility and on-court drills. "This summer was just a little bit different," Doncic said in the story. "It kind of motivated me to be even better." Luka Doncic pulled up to Yankee Stadium to meet Aaron Judge and was gifted a pair of Judge's PE "Double Gum" cleats and a game-used bat ???? — MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2025 Doncic, 26, played in just 50 games last season, the lowest of his career, and he did not make the All-Star or All-NBA team for the first time since 2020. He averaged 28.2 points 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists, but the Lakers, who acquired Doncic from Dallas last season in a much-scrutinized deal at the February trade deadline, were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. The Lakers are trying to maximize a championship window with LeBron James alongside Doncic while preparing for a future with Doncic as the centerpiece of the roster. Doncic plans to play for Slovenia at Eurobasket, which runs from Aug. 27-Sept. 14. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news -- fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.


USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic shows off new physique in Men's Health
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic looks like he will arrive at training camp in a couple of months in the best shape of his professional basketball career. Clips of Donic's new-look physique have been posted on social media, and on Monday, July 29, Men's Health posted a feature story plus two sidebars detailing Doncic's diet and fitness routine. In photos, Doncic appears to have shed weight and added muscle. "Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better," Doncic told the magazine. As Doncic has become one of the best players in the NBA, he has also been criticized for his weight and conditioning. Working closely in the offseason with a training staff that that includes a physiotherapist and nutritionist, Doncic wants to be in the best shape of his life for the 2025-26 season. His dietary regimen includes fasting nearly 16 consecutive hours a day while consuming a high-protein, low-carb nutritional program that includes whey protein shakes. His workout plan includes weight lifting, resistance-band routines, agility and on-court drills. "This summer was just a little bit different," Doncic said in the story. "It kind of motivated me to be even better." Doncic, 26, played in just 50 games last season, the lowest of his career, and he did not make the All-Star or All-NBA team for the first time since 2020. He averaged 28.2 points 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists, but the Lakers, who acquired Doncic from Dallas last season in a much-scrutinized deal at the February trade deadline, were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. The Lakers are trying to maximize a championship window with LeBron James alongside Doncic while preparing for a future with Doncic as the centerpiece of the roster. Doncic plans to play for Slovenia at Eurobasket, which runs from Aug. 27-Sept. 14.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Julie Allemand has fit in with Sparks amid WNBA return [Exclusive]
The post How Julie Allemand has fit in with Sparks amid WNBA return [Exclusive] appeared first on ClutchPoints. Back during the 2024 WNBA offseason, the Los Angeles Sparks acquired Julie Allemand in a sign-and-trade with the Chicago Sky. Allemand, who had a solid rookie season with the Indiana Fever in 2020, as well as extensive experience playing professionally overseas, was supposed to give the Sparks a quality option at point guard, a position that they hadn't been able to fill since Chelsea Gray departed in free agency. Allemand was making her return to the league after sitting out the 2023 season due to her commitments with the Belgium national team. But her Sparks debut ended up having to be postponed. Allemand suffered an ankle injury before the 2024 season began and ended up missing the entire season. The Sparks suspended her contract in the meantime, so she did not count towards the salary cap. But after injury rehab that went well, the Sparks made the decision to have her join the roster for the 2025 season. After a bit of a transition period where Allemand had to get used to being back in the WNBA and with new teammates, she's been able to flourish in new head coach Lynne Roberts' system. After returning from the Belgium national team, where she won the 2025 Eurobasket championship, Allemand has felt more free and comfortable with the Sparks. 'I think it was hard for me before Eurobasket to find my spot, my place on this team. So Eurobasket helped a lot especially because I came back from an injury, a surgery, so it wasn't easy. I needed some time and I think I was too hard on myself at the beginning with the Sparks,' Allemand told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. 'I was just like, okay, now I'm going to bring everything that I had over there and just try to be better. . .I'm not thinking too much. I think I was thinking way too much.' Julie Allemand's fluid role for the Sparks The added confidence that Allemand brought back from Eurobasket has come at a crucial time for the Sparks. A team that has been searching for consistency throughout the regular season so far, the Sparks have found themselves in the middle of the playoff hunt as the second half of the season gets underway. With the Sparks showing improved play on the court, Julie Allemand has been a big factor in that transformation. She began the season coming off the bench and started a few games amid multiple injuries and absences. But since the Sparks decided to part ways with veteran guard Odyssey Sims, Allemand has been a permanent fixture in the starting lineup alongside Kelsey Plum in the backcourt. With four other starters who can score the ball, Allemand serves as a connector of sorts. She keeps the ball moving and keeps the offense flowing while not needing shot attempts to be effective. In the past five games, Allemand has racked up double digits in assists in two of them. She's had no less than four assists in any of them. She's only scored in double digits in one of those games, and the Sparks have won all five. Once Allemand returned from the national team, Roberts told her that the team needed the player who was on display at Eurobasket. 'Coach said, 'we're really happy and really proud of you what you did over there, and we want you to be back and not think, and just play your game,' and I think that's just what I'm trying to do,' Allemand said. 'Just being myself, being the point guard that I can be, helping my teammates, involve my teammates when they are on the court, and just be myself.' With the first week of the second half of the regular season complete, Allemand has appeared in a total of 15 games, including eight starts, at a little over 23 minutes per game. She's been averaging 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from the three-point line. One of her best all-around games of the season came during the Sparks' win against the Connecticut Sun on July 24. She finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 4-of-5 from the field. But one of her biggest qualities she brings to the Sparks is her ability to be the primary ball-handler and take some of the pressure off Kelsey Plum. Adjusting to play with another strong guard can be challenging, and Allemand and Plum have developed a strong chemistry since the beginning of the season. 'I think we can really create for each other. . .we just needed to find time. It was the first time I was playing with her. I didn't even have training camp, so it took time,' Allemand said. 'But what we already saw is good. And I hope we're going to keep going like that, getting to know each other. That's going to be the most important thing. And then just play our game. I like it. I think we can do great things.' Julie Allemand's return to the WNBA It's been three years since Julie Allemand was last in the WNBA. She had a strong rookie season in the bubble with the Fever, averaging a career-best 8.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. She sat out the 2021 season due to personal reasons. In 2022, she had been traded by the Fever to the Sky, but was unable to build upon her rookie year. Following a two-year hiatus that involved injury rehab, Allemand found herself back in a league that had changed tremendously since she last played. While the upcoming CBA negotiations hang like a cloud over the entire league, Allemand is hopeful that the WNBA will continue to grow. 'Last time I was here, we didn't have charter flights. So first of all, I was impressed. But I think it's getting better and better,' Allemand said. 'The improvement is good, and also the CBA will be different next season. So I'm really excited and looking forward to it. It's nice to be back and play games. I want to enjoy it, and I can see the improvements.' Related: Sparks' tunnel fits turn heads before Liberty clash Related: Sparks' Cameron Brink gets a major injury update from Lynne Roberts


USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Luka Doncic could sign extension with Lakers sooner rather than later
On Aug. 2, which is just over a week from now, Luka Doncic will be eligible to sign a long-term contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. While there was previously a bit of anxiety regarding whether he would commit to staying with the team beyond this coming season, there seems to be a new confidence that he will be staying put. He was reportedly active in recruiting guard Marcus Smart to the Lakers, which is a sign that he's emotionally connected to the franchise. Doncic will be representing his native Slovenia in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament later this summer. It was thought that he might wait until the end of the summer, when he returns to the United States, to sign his extension. But according to Martin Pavcnik of Sportklub, the superstar may take care of that piece of business before Eurobasket begins (h/t Lakers Nation). "For him, for the fans and for his ambitions, the most important thing is that Luka Dončić will wear the national team jersey again. The date of his arrival is still shrouded in mystery, but it is expected to be August 4. This suggests that he may sign a new contract with the LA Lakers before then." As of now, Doncic can opt out of his current contract next summer. But the Lakers have already started building a winning roster around the 26-year-old by bringing in Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, and Deandre Ayton, a young rim-running center who is a legitimate lob threat. The superstar was traded to Los Angeles on Feb. 1 and averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists a game as a member of the Lakers during the regular season.


USA Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lakers are 'really confident' Luka Doncic will agree to extension
The Los Angeles Lakers may or not may be done making roster moves this summer. But they still have something big to get done before training camp starts in about two and a half months. Luka Doncic will be eligible to sign a contract extension on Aug. 2, and the Lakers can offer him $228 million over four years. He is currently preparing to represent his native Slovenia in the upcoming Eurobasket tournament, and he will not return to the States until very late in the offseason. It isn't necessarily a foregone conclusion that Doncic will agree to an extension before the start of the 2025-26 season, and if he doesn't, he can opt out of his current contract next summer. But Dan Woike of The Athletic told Colin Cowherd during an appearance on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" that the franchise is very confident it will get the superstar to sign on the dotted line soon. 'It's gonna be early August. He's extension eligible Aug. 2. I think they're really confident, Colin. I think they've been in contact with him early in the summer about their plans for the organization. I think when they made the deal to get him, I think they were confident that they would be able to secure him in the long term. There are things about Los Angeles to not like. Nobody likes the traffic here and stuff like this. But the one thing we know about Luka Doncic is, well two things we know about him. One, he loves the big stage, and it's a huge stage. What's a bigger stage than playing at in front of those stars? And I think the second part of it is like, this is like a guy that doesn't necessarily love being famous. And you might think Los Angeles, well it's full of famous people. You can move pretty anonymously as a famous person in Los Angeles should you choose because there's always someone else famous in your circle and stuff like that. I think he's really comfortable there. I'm pretty sure the Lakers are gonna be able to secure an extension, it's just kind of a matter of for how long.' Doncic averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists a game and shot 37.9% from 3-point range in 28 regular-season games with L.A. after being traded there on Feb. 1. He has gotten himself into better shape this offseason after facing lots of criticism for his lack of fitness and conditioning, and Woike reported that the superstar has been "Incredibly committed" to his conditioning and diet. This new dedication could result in an enhanced version of Doncic moving forward, and the Lakers could reap the benefits as long as they get him to agree to some sort of extension soon.