Lakers HC JJ Redick Calls Out Media Bias and Says Luka Doncic Deserved MVP Finalist Spot

Luka Doncic led the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 33.5 points per game, and fought his way through an eligibility battle just to stay in award conversations. After all that, he still did not make the cut as an MVP finalist. Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick had thoughts.

In the postgame press conference after the Game 2 win over the Houston Rockets, Redick did not hold back when asked about Doncic being left off the list alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.

"Disappointed," Redick said. "I think he deserved to be there. I think all three guys that did end up being the finalists have a strong case. A lot of this, unfortunately, is media momentum."

The MVP finalists were announced on April 19, the same day the Lakers opened their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets with a 107-98 win without Doncic, who has been sidelined since April 2 with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.

Doncic had also fought an eligibility battle heading into awards season. He played 64 games, one short of the required 65, after traveling to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter. The NBA granted him relief under the collective bargaining agreement's Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge provision, restoring his eligibility for MVP and All-NBA consideration.

JJ Redick on Media Bias and the Pressure of Coaching the Lakers

JJ Redick fires back at people who doubted the Lakers that are now saying that they have what it takes to win 👀

“I didn’t know anybody said we had what it takes to win.” pic.twitter.com/TsjkHX7Hqs
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) April 22, 2026

Redick went further when asked whether the perceived media bias against the Lakers bothers him or serves as motivation heading into the playoffs.

"I guess we underperformed, even though we didn't have any expectations coming into the year," Redick said. "I guess we underperformed for a couple months, despite him playing and didn't play for one of those months. Media momentum got built."

It is a notably clear-eyed take from a second-year head coach who spent years in broadcasting before taking this job. Redick understands how the system works, and he is not pretending otherwise.

With Doncic recovering from the hamstring injury and the Lakers already up 2-0 against Houston, the MVP conversation will fade for now. Whether he returns this series remains to be seen, but his regular-season case was real, and his coach made sure people knew it.

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