Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic will finish the 2025-26 regular season with 64 appearances after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during Thursday’s loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, sidelining him for the rest of the campaign and possibly the postseason.
Because the NBA requires players to log at least 65 games to qualify for individual honors, the injury leaves Doncic one game short of eligibility for awards such as Most Valuable Player and All-NBA selections. On Friday, agent Bill Duffy said he will file an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” with the league office, seeking an exception that would keep his client in contention.
“This season, Luka Doncic has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring and guiding the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference,” Duffy stated through ESPN’s Shams Charania. The agent noted that Doncic missed two contests in December for the birth of his second child in Slovenia, arguing that personal leave should count as an extraordinary circumstance under the rule.
Doncic, 27, had positioned himself firmly in the MVP race after a dominant March and is widely expected to earn a spot on the All-NBA First Team. The challenge, if approved by the NBA in consultation with the National Basketball Players Association, would restore his award eligibility despite the game shortfall.
This season marks the first year of the league’s 65-game requirement, a policy that has drawn criticism as several high-profile players have been forced to sit out extended stretches with injuries.
In a separate incident Thursday, teammate Austin Reaves exchanged words with a fan who accused Doncic of exaggerating his injury while the star guard remained on the court in visible pain.
Source: LakersNation.com
