In the wake of Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic's season-ending left hamstring injury, the six-time All-Star's agent released a statement regarding this year's NBA awards. Doncic has played in 64 regular-season games, which is one short of the league's 65-game limit.
Doncic's agent addressed the next course of action after Luka was ruled out for the rest of the regular season, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
“This season, Luka Dončić has performed at a historic level, leading the league in scoring, carrying the Lakers to third place in the Western Conference and placing himself in the middle of one of the most tightly contested MVP races in memory,” the statement reads.
“To ensure that Luka’s incredible accomplishments this season are rightly honored and he can be considered for the league’s end-of-season awards, we intend to apply for an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge” to the 65-game rule. Luka missed two games this season for the birth of his second child in Slovenia.”
Doncic's statement concluded with the date of his daughter's birth, and his plans to work with the NBA's Players Association.
“His daughter was born on Dec. 4 on another continent, and yet he was back in the United States competing with his team on Dec. 6,” the statement continues. “Luka has gone to great lengths to show up for his team and this league this season.
“His record-breaking season deserves to be noted in the history books, despite last night’s unfortunate injury and other extraordinary circumstances. We look forward to working with the NBAPA and the league office to ensure a fair outcome in this matter.”
Doncic suffered the left hamstring injury in the third quarter of the Lakers' 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Luka Doncic to work with NBAPA to qualify for NBA awards
Lakers guard Luka Doncic's case to qualify for this year's NBA awards was mentioned before his statement was announced. Doncic has a chance to still make All-NBA and other awards.
Doncic's case was reported, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.
“There is one way Luka Doncic can be eligible for end-of-season awards: by filing an extraordinary circumstances grievance over missing two games in December over the birth of his child,” Bontemps wrote. “An arbitrator would rule on it after the regular season.”
Doncic could return to the Lakers for the postseason.
