Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic ended the 2025-26 NBA regular season with 64 games played, falling one short of NBA awards eligibility. Doncic missed the mark after suffering a late-season hamstring injury against the OKC Thunder, which likely will cause the 27-year-old guard to miss the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Up until now, many believed the injury also cost him his chance to return to the All-NBA First Team since he failed to reach the 65-game limit.
The Lakers and Doncic had applied for an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge with the league office to gain an exception for the two games Doncic missed in December 2025 for the birth of his daughter. Given Doncic’s personal circumstances since then, it’s important to recognize how important his being there was, which is why the league announced that Doncic will be eligible for awards consideration, alongside Cade Cunningham, who also played 64 games and applied under the same waiver.
Luka Doncic sent out a statement on social media after the news was confirmed, thanking the league office and the NBPA for their support in this.
“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 averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists this season and won the scoring title for the second time in his career. He had made five consecutive All-NBA First Team appearances between 2020 and 2024 but missed out last season after missing the 65-game limit due to injury and a midseason trade. He was in MVP talks before his hamstring injury, so he should be one of the favorites to be named to the All-NBA First Team.
Cunningham, who has also become eligible, will also likely be a candidate for the First Team along with the three leading MVP contenders – Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Anthony Edwards also applied alongside Doncic and Cunningham, but his request to be considered was not accepted.
Doncic’s All-NBA eligibility won’t make him instantly fit for their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, with coach JJ Redick saying he’s currently ruled out indefinitely. However, making All-NBA will allow Doncic to seek a supermax contract extension with the Lakers when his current contract is up for renewal.
It would also be a great personal accomplishment for Doncic to have six All-NBA First Team appearances in seven seasons. It would solidify him as one of the greats for the 2020s decade, but he hopes to also secure an MVP and a championship before the decade is over.
The championship will be hard to come by this season if he and Austin Reaves aren’t available for the first round, but the league’s scoring leader is in the middle of his prime years and will be looking to strike back whenever he’s healthy and back on the court.
