The NBA finally made its ruling on Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic, deeming him eligible for end-of-season awards despite not meeting the 65 games played threshold. Doncic and the NBPA appealed to the league using the Extraordinary Circumstances clause as the Lakers star missed two games earlier this season to fly to Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter.
Following the announcement of the ruling, Doncic took to social media to give his thanks to the NBPA, NBA and the entire Lakers organization.
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…
— Luka Doncic (@lukadoncic) April 16, 2026
The purpose of the 65-game rule was to prevent players from sitting out so many games due to load management and teams just wanting to rest guys. However, the rule has come under a lot of scrutiny this season due to many players barely missing that mark due to legitimate injuries or other circumstances, as was the case for Doncic who played 64 games.
The league also waived the rule for Detroit Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham, who played in 63 games this season and would have easily surpassed the mark if not for suffering a collapsed lung that caused him to miss 12 games.
Doncic is now eligible for the NBA MVP, as well as the All-NBA teams. While he won’t win the MVP, he will almost certainly finish in the top five and is basically a lock to be an All-NBA First Team selection after leading the NBA in scoring (33.5 points per game) and finishing third in assists (8.3).
It will be interesting to see whether the NBA revisits the 65-game rule in the offseason after so much controversy. While Doncic and Cunningham received exemptions, Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards was denied his attempt at arbitration while other stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker and Doncic’s Lakers’ teammate LeBron James are all ineligible after not reaching the games mark.
Luka Doncic out ‘indefinitely’ for Lakers to start playoffs
Unfortunately, due to the Grade 2 left hamstring strain he suffered, Doncic remains out for the Lakers as the postseason is set to begin and head coach JJ Redick says both he and Austin Reaves remain out indefinitely.
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