As a result of his meteoric rise, Luka Donii is now widely considered one of the league’s best players. He has been a fan favorite for the Most Valuable Player award for the previous few years and is widely regarded as a once-in-a-generation talent. However, despite his success on the court, Doni’s physical condition has always been criticized. He often appears unhealthy.

Doni could debut a new hairstyle for the upcoming season, though. The start of training camps has not yet arrived, but the Slovenian star has lost weight in preparation. A couple brief movies showed him appearing thinner, but it was not obvious whether or not they were the typical off-season hype videos shot from advantageous angles.

On Wednesday, Luka Donicic returned to the floor for the first time since the NBA regular season concluded, confirming the rumors that he had lost weight.

Doni’s Slovenian National Team has a few friendly matches against other countries to play before the start of the FIBA World Cup later this month. In their first exhibition game, against Greece, it was clear that Doni had been working on his fitness.

Doni looked great for the few minutes he got to play in the first quarter, and he appeared to be in the best shape of his life.

I’m relieved to be back after what seems like an endless summer. The upcoming practices and games have my full attention. It’s a privilege to serve as captain, a position I took on after a vote by the team. It’s an honor to represent my country on the field, and I’ve been itching for a game ever since April 10th.

Even though it’s not ideal for an NBA team or its supporters to have its star player participate worldwide, it could work out well for everyone involved in this scenario. Even though Doni will have to wait until mid-September before he can begin training with the Dallas Mavericks, he will have plenty to keep him busy with his national team.

For Luka Donii and the Mavericks, this is a pivotal year, as there have been murmurs of discontent and the player maybe wanting out.