Lakers Luka Doncic Issues Statement After MVP Eligibility Clearance

The NBA's 65-game rule took several big names off the awards ballot this season, but Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic got some relief when the NBA and NBPA accepted his Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge, keeping him in contention for end-of-season honors.

In a post on X, Doncic broke his silence after the ruling came through.

I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision. It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and allowing me to travel to be there. This season has been so special to me because of what my teammates and I have been able to accomplish, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards.
Luka Doncic

I am grateful to the NBPA for advocating on my behalf and to the NBA for their fair decision. It was so important to me to be present for the birth of my daughter in December and I appreciate Mark, Jeanie, Rob, JJ, and the entire Lakers organization for fully supporting me and…
— Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic) April 16, 2026

Doncic ended the regular season at 64 games, one short of the 65-game minimum for award eligibility. Two of those missed games came in December when he flew to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter.

His agent, Bill Duffy, filed the challenge under the NBA-NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, arguing that those absences were unavoidable and that disqualifying him would be unjust.

Things got more complicated when a Grade 2 left hamstring strain against the Oklahoma City Thunder in early April shut him down for the rest of the regular season. He has since traveled to Spain to work on his recovery ahead of the playoffs.

Luka Doncic Season Stats and MVP Chances Explained

The numbers Doncic put up this season were hard to ignore. He averaged 33.5 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game, leading the league in scoring. He also won Player of the Month twice and dropped 600 points in March alone, becoming just the 10th player in NBA history to do that in a single month.

All of that would have meant nothing for awards purposes without the clearance. Now that he is eligible, he is back on the MVP and All-NBA ballot, though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the frontrunner on most voters' lists with Doncic unlikely to win it outright.

He is expected to return to Los Angeles on Friday after spending time in Spain receiving platelet-rich plasma and stem cell injections on his hamstring.

The Lakers open their first-round series against the Houston Rockets on April 18, and while Doncic is expected to be present, his playing status remains indefinite per coach JJ Redick.

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