NBA rules Luka Doncic is eligible for end-of-season awards
Despite playing in just 64 regular-season games, Luka Doncic will be eligible for NBA end-of-season individual awards.
When Luka Doncic was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain nearly two weeks ago, it was very bad news for the Los Angeles Lakers . They had won 16 of their previous 18 games heading into that April 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, during which Doncic got hurt, and the injury stopped their momentum dead in its tracks. But the ailment was also bad news for Doncic individually.
He finished the regular season having appeared in 64 games, which is one game short of the 65-contest minimum the NBA mandates for players to be eligible for individual awards given out at the end of the season. Doncic had previously missed two games to witness the birth of his daughter, which led his agent, Bill Duffy, to apply for an "Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge" to that 65-contest rule. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the league has ruled in Doncic's favor.
That means the Slovenian superstar will be eligible for awards such as All-NBA honors and the MVP award. Just in: The NBA and NBPA have ruled in favor of Lakers' Luka Doncic and Pistons' Cade Cunningham on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule, making both eligible for all 2025-26 season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams, sources tell ESPN. pic.
twitter. com/gUYdUn1q4k — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 16, 2026 In all likelihood, Doncic will not win the MVP award, but it does seem very likely, if not certain, that he will be voted onto one of the three All-NBA teams. He will also end up with the scoring title thanks to his average of 33.