Luka Doncic may have cleared one hurdle late in the season, but it ultimately didn’t translate into MVP recognition.
Despite successfully appealing his eligibility after falling short of the league’s 65-game requirement, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was left off the final shortlist for the 2025–26 MVP award. Instead, the league named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic as the three finalists.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t hide his frustration when asked about the decision.
“Disappointed,” Redick said. “I think he deserved to be there and I think all three guys that did end up being finalists had strong cases. A lot of this, unfortunately, is media momentum.
“Sometimes a team, I guess we underperformed even though we didn’t have any expectations coming into the year. But I guess we underperformed for a couple months despite him getting Player of the Month one of those months. The media momentum just never got built.”
That late-season surge was hard to ignore. Doncic dominated in 2026, earning Player of the Month honours twice and putting up elite numbers across the board.
In March he scored a HUGE 600 total points, while guiding the Lakers to a near-flawless run that briefly put them back into contention.
Redick, who previously worked in media, also offered a broader perspective on how coverage around the Lakers can influence perception.
“I think it’s the fascinating part about the Lakers. There’s probably a few other franchises that fall in this category,” Redick said. “You’re living in this perfect gray at all times, where the expectations internally, the expectations from fans are one thing, and the expectations from the media can be a completely different thing.
“I worked in television for three years. I know it’s important for the producers of shows to talk about the Lakers, and not always in a positive way. That’s just part of this whole experience. Being on the other side of it gave me great, I think, perspective on that.
“I’m not motivated by internal or external expectations, or internal or external hate, or love, or anything like that. I’ve never been.”
READ MORE: Bill Simmons Admits Last-Minute Change on His MVP Vote