Sports

Lakers' Luka Doncic Ruled Eligible for NBA Awards Under ‘Extraordinary Circumstances'

By Ryan Ward Sports Illustrated

As a result of Luka Doncic going down with a Grade 2 hamstring against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was ruled out for the rest of the regular season, which put his games played at 64, ending any chance of him being eligible for NBA awards.

However, there was one way Doncic could retain that eligibility: the Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge. The Lakers guard missed two games earlier in the season due to the birth of his daughter, when he traveled to Slovenia.

On Thursday, the NBA ruled on Doncic's eligibility, along with that of Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, granting the challenge for both players.

Luka Doncic Officially Eligible for NBA Awards

This is great news for Doncic, who was having a career year before suffering the hamstring injury.

Although it looks like Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will win a second straight NBA MVP award, Doncic is in the running to earn All-NBA First-Team honors.

Over the course of the 64 games that Doncic played during the regular season, the new face of the Lakers franchise averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Doncic led the NBA in scoring, which marked the second time he's won the scoring title, putting him in select company.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 9:07 AM.

Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW