Mario Hezonja is back in the NBA, and the Cavaliers forward has turned heads before even taking the floor.
After six seasons in the EuroLeague, Hezonja is set to be a major piece off Cleveland’s bench in 2026-27. The familiar part of his game is easy to remember: the shot-making, the swagger, the trash talk, and that block on LeBron James in a 2019 game.
What stands out now is the body. Hezonja has clearly added muscle during his time away from the league, and even his new teammate Jarrett Allen took notice.
“He weighs more than me," Allen said, per Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor.
Hezonja has been even bolder when describing the change himself. According to Fear The Sword’s Tony Pesta, he said he is now 70 pounds heavier and three inches taller than when he first entered the league.
"And then the second thing is, I was drafted, man, at 6-6, 190," Hezonja said. "I remember looking like a child even in summer league, although I was super talented, but I get my ways and all that, but I wasn't really like physique in NBA.
"And now I'm coming back at 6-9, 260, so that definitely adds to the versatility the team can use, the Kenny can use, obviously my teammates."
The numbers don’t quite line up with the league’s own records. The NBA’s official draft measurements list Hezonja at 6-8 and 218 pounds as a rookie, while an NBA press release from his summer league days also used the same measurements.
Still, there’s no question the 31-year-old looks different. Hezonja said the change came from relentless work.
"For the weight, I can tell you from a lot of crazy hard work," Hezonja said. "Never quitting, always doing extra, always doing more, always knowing it's never enough, having that fire in me, having that hunger with me my entire career."
A former Real Madrid star and the Liga ACB MVP in his final season in Spain, Hezonja is coming back to Cleveland after a long NBA absence with plenty of eyes on him. The size is real. The exact measurements, though, are a little harder to pin down.
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