Luka Doncic's latest claim has Lakers fans buzzing.
Luka Doncic's Bold Claim After Physical Transformation Is Catching Lakers Fans Attention on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the first full season of the Luka Doncic era after acquiring the 26-year-old Slovenian sensation in February.
Despite Doncic's half-season stint in L.A. already, the Lakers' first-round elimination from the 2025 NBA playoffs against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves proved they have a long way to go.
Doncic's shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers was a result of questions around Doncic's conditioning and fitness, devastating the guard over the winter. In turn, he dedicated his offseason to shattering false notions about his fitness.
He highlighted his physical transformation for Men's Health, claiming that his summer workouts might have resulted in an improved max vertical jump.
“This year, we didn’t measure the jumping yet. But I think it’s a little bit higher,” Doncic said.
Fans Don't Think Luka Doncic's Vertical Is What it Seems to be
"Luka stopped eating candy and hamburgers for 6 weeks and unlocked a new max vertical, imagine if he had always been trying this hard," said one fan about Luka.
"Demon time," said one positive fan.
"Bro 42 inch vert wtfff!!! This guy plays like he got a 20 inch vert," said another fan, casting aspersions over Doncic's reported 42-inch vertical.
"Same guy who had less than 5 dunks last season," said one surprised fan.
"There is ZERO chance he had a 42” vertical at any point in his life lol," said another fan who didn't buy this claim.
"Never had a 42. Dude has never jumped like a Ja or Derrick Rose," said another disagreeable fan.
What's The Truth Around Luka Doncic's Vertical?
The NBA has not officially measured Luka Doncic's max vertical because Doncic didn't participate in the 2018 draft combine. It has been reported that Doncic has a 42-inch vertical, which would put him in the ranks of the most athletic point guards the NBA has ever seen.
For example, Derrick Rose had a recorded 40-inch vertical, while John Wall had a vertical of 39 inches. Even Russell Westbrook only recorded a 36.5-inch vertical, so the claim that Doncic once had a 42-inch vertical seems a little bold.
Doncic was a better dunker in his early years in the NBA, but the slight increase in max vertical he's referring to is likely not predicated on the 42-inch number that's widely believed by many.
It's possible that an 18-year-old Doncic could have had a vertical comparable to someone like James Harden (37 inches), but we can't be certain.
If Doncic has indeed become a more explosive athlete, we'll wait and see how many dunks add to his points share in the NBA. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists last season, and is expected to be an MVP front runner in 2025-26.
Related: Luka Doncic Shattered His Phone the Moment He Was Traded to Lakers and Still Uses It
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
