Lakers Luka Doncic Issues Statement After MVP Eligibility Clearance

Luka Doncic( William Liang-Imagn Images

Lakers Luka Doncic Issues Statement After MVP Eligibility Clearance

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Apr 16, 2026 12:30 PM ET

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.

That challenge became even more critical after 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.

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