Lakers' Luka Doncic Frustrated with NBA MVP Race

Doncic's historic season not enough to overtake Gilgeous-Alexander, Wembanyama, and Jokic in MVP voting

Mar. 28, 2026 at 6:53pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a basketball player in motion, with sharp geometric shapes and planes of color representing the dynamic action of the game. The colors used are the official team colors of the Los Angeles Lakers, capturing the energy and intensity of Doncic's play.Luka Doncic's MVP-caliber season has not translated to top billing in the award race, exposing the subjective nature of the NBA's most prestigious individual honor.Boston Today

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is putting up historic numbers this season, including becoming the first player since Michael Jordan to average over 40 points per game on a six-game road trip. However, Doncic is currently ranked fourth in the NBA MVP race behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic, much to the frustration of Doncic and his teammates.

Why it matters

Doncic's exclusion from the top of the MVP race despite his statistical dominance raises questions about the criteria used to determine the award. As one of the league's most exciting young stars, Doncic's lack of recognition could impact his legacy and the public perception of the MVP voting process.

The details

Doncic is on pace to win his second NBA scoring title, averaging 33.7 points per game. He recently became the first Laker since Kobe Bryant to score 60 points in a game and the first player since Michael Jordan to average over 40 points per game on a six-game road trip. However, Doncic is currently ranked fourth in the latest Kia MVP Ladder, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic. Doncic expressed frustration with his ranking, saying 'the better I play, my rating seems to go down, so I don't know what more I can do.'

  • On March 19, Doncic became the first Laker to score 60 points in a game since Kobe Bryant in 2016.
  • On Wednesday, Doncic returned to Los Angeles having averaged over 40 points per game on a six-game road trip, something only Michael Jordan had done before.

The players

Luka Doncic

Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA and All-Star guard who is on pace to win his second NBA scoring title, averaging 33.7 points per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning NBA MVP.

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs star who is likely to win Defensive Player of the Year and leads the NBA in blocks while averaging 24.2 points and 11.2 rebounds.

Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets three-time NBA MVP who is on pace to average a triple-double for the second straight season.

Austin Reaves

Los Angeles Lakers guard who expressed disbelief at Doncic's ranking in the MVP race.

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What they’re saying

“Yeah, hopefully, but the better I play, my rating seems to go down, so I don't know what more I can do.”

— Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers Guard

“And he continues to drop in the MVP race, which is insane to me. I guess it don't really matter. Maybe he's gotta score 60. I don't know.”

— Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers Guard

“I fear something that has only ever happened to Luka before is about to happen again. Score 33 or more [per game] on a 50-win team the last 60 years. Wilt [Chamberlain] did it, won MVP. Kareem did it, won MVP. Jordan did it, won MVP, [and] then did it again — almost won MVP but got 21 first-place votes. [James] Harden did it as the defending league MVP, came in second [in 2019] to Giannis [Antetokounmpo].”

— Nick Wright, FS1 First Things First Co-Host

What’s next

The Lakers are currently the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and will look to make a deep playoff run. Doncic's performance and the team's success could sway MVP voters in the final weeks of the season.

The takeaway

Doncic's historic individual season has not been enough to overtake the other top MVP candidates, highlighting the subjective nature of the award and the challenges elite players face in gaining recognition. This situation raises questions about the criteria used to determine the NBA's Most Valuable Player.