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Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets Teammate Defends Luka Doncic’s MVP Eligibility

Originally posted on AirJordanChronicles | By Deblina Roy | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 6:34 PM ET

Luka Doncic’s chances of winning his biggest award just took a hit. But one star isn’t keeping quiet about it. Cameron Johnson just spoke up for Luka, and he made a great point that has everyone talking about whether the rules are fair.

Despite a successful season, the Los Angeles Lakers star came down with a left hamstring injury on April 2. And while Doncic’s on-court absence threatened his MVP position, Johnson just couldn’t be silent.

“I completely understand the goal of it, but it’s just that hard stop”, Johnson said on The Old Man and The Three.

“Say, a guy like Luka, if he plays 63 games, and him playing two or three more games is not going to change that much,” Johnson added.

Nuggets player Cameron Johnson thinks Luka should be eligible for post season awards pic.twitter.com/kGFABNrawj
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) April 9, 2026

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement for the NBA in 2023–24 included a 65-game rule to stop “load management.” All stars must play more games to be able to win big awards.

Luka only played 63 games because of an injury, which disqualified him just like Giannis, Curry, and LeBron.

The star forward also used Nikola Jokic as an example. It’s like, “If Jokic ended up playing 62 games instead of 65, it doesn’t push him.”

Johnson argued Doncic’s season performance should be rewarded despite his injury.

Cameron Johnson Says Voters Need To Help Luka Doncic

Averaging 33.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists this season, Doncic pushed the Lakers to the 3^rd position in the Western Conference with a 50–27 record.

Without him, the Lakers dropped to 50-29. And this is the impact Johnson mentioned.

“It’s on the voters to be able to filter that out and determine, with the eye tests, how much a player meant to their team”, he said.

“And it’s about how much these players mean to their teams and their performance, and how much they impact their team’s winning.”

Ultimately, the decision rests with the league and its voters.

This article first appeared on AirJordanChronicles and was syndicated with permission.

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