In his first full season in Los Angeles, Luka Dončić led the NBA in scoring, but still finished fourth in MVP
In his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka Dončić showed why he remains one of the NBA’s most dominant offensive stars.
Despite leading the league in scoring at 33.5 points per game and putting together another statistically dominant campaign, Dončić finished fourth in the 2025–26 NBA MVP voting.
For the second straight season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder captured the MVP award after leading Oklahoma City to the best record in the NBA (64 wins) and another deep playoff run.
Gilgeous-Alexander received 83 first-place votes in the final voting results.
Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets finished second in MVP after earning 10 first-place votes and 48 second-place votes, and Spurs Victor Wembanyama finished third behind Dončić.
Dončić, meanwhile, did not receive a first-place vote and earned just one second-place vote despite another elite individual season.
Lakers’ Midseason Surge Fueled MVP Case
In 64 games this season, the 27-year-old led the NBA in scoring, posting 9.2 assists and 8.7 rebounds per game, serving as the offensive engine for the Lakers throughout the year alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
His ability to control the pace of games, create opportunities for teammates and deliver in clutch moments helped the Lakers finish 53-29 (fourth in the West), L.A.'s second straight 50-win season under coach JJ Redick.
One of the strongest stretches of Dončić’s MVP case came late in the regular season when the Lakers were at full strength, pushing to a dominant 15-2 record from late February through March behind a historic MVP-like month from the Slovenian.
During that run, L.A. looked like one of the league’s hottest teams led by Dončić, who scored 600 points in March, the most in franchise history, including a 60-point game on the road in Miami.
Hamstring Injury Derailed Late-Season Momentum
Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) hops to the side of the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center.However, his momentum was later disrupted after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2 against the Thunder. The injury forced Dončić to miss the rest of the season, including the playoffs, slowing the Lakers during a critical stretch of the MVP race, something that may have factored into the final voting results.
Although the Lakers’ postseason run ended in disappointment after a second-round sweep against Oklahoma City, Dončić’s season still reinforced why the franchise views him as its centerpiece moving forward.
Dončić will likely earn an All-NBA nod once the season is over as the Lakers head toward a revamp around the star guard this offseason with or without James and Reaves.