PHOTO: Luka Doncic looks in peak shape amid criticism regarding offseason conditioning

Luka Doncic has seemingly answered the criticisms about his conditioning this offseason with a new photo on social media. In a post by Slovenian Janz Krzic on Instagram, Doncic appears to be back in his home country after touring China.

He seems to be fresh off a workout and looked in game shape less than a month before the start of training camp. The Dallas Mavericks are looking to get back into the NBA Finals after falling short in June.

"If I couldn't take a picture of myself yesterday, I can at least today," Krzic wrote in the captions.

Luka Doncic has previously been criticized for using the early parts of the regular season to get into playing shape after a long offseason. Here's what Dallas Mavericks head coach said after Hall of Famer Reggie Miller called out Doncic in 2022:

"We all saw Luka's taking his body serious," Jason Kidd said. "I think, during the season, (Reggie Miller) made the comment that he thought he was too heavy. And what I love about Luka is he never runs from opinions. So when Reggie said that, he worked on his body and he took off."

However, Doncic has taken care of his body more. It's hard to argue with the results last year when he led the league in scoring and led the Mavs to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.

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Fans take shot at Luka Doncic's weight at charity game

Several videos from Goran Dragic's farewell game from August 24 surfaced and many thought that Luka Doncic was looking bigger than usual. Due to his reputation and history, some fans online assumed that Doncic had put on some weight while back at home in Slovenia.

"Luka played basketball for sixth plus months and said I'm gonna relax," a fan wrote.

"Luka is eating good this offseason!" one fan commented.

"It looks like him and Jokic switched bodies this summer," another fan remarked.

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LA Lakers linked to Luka Doncic amid LeBron James' extension

The LA Lakers have always been a destination for superstars, with LeBron James the latest to join the fray back in 2018. James delivered a championship in 2020, but he's also the oldest player in the league for the second year in a row. He'll turn 40 in December.

James signed a two-year deal to stay with the Lakers with a player option for the 2025–26 season. If "The King" decides to retire or change scenery, the Lakers already have a player in mind as a replacement—LLuka Doncic.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor reported that the Lakers are interested in Doncic whenever he becomes available. Doncic was linked to a potential trade last year, but an NBA Finals appearance killed those rumors.

He's entering the third year of his five-year, $207 million rookie extension he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2021 offseason. He is eligible to sign a supermax worth a whopping $346 million next year.