Luka Doncic is in the middle of a phenomenal season that’s in stark contrast to the optics on him this time last year, when he was shooed away from the Dallas Mavericks, citing fitness concerns. The Slovenian star has been lurking near the top of the Kia MVP ladder for some time now, even though he faces tough competition from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
Advertisement
There’s a good chance that Doncic could end up taking home the trophy at the end of the season. The Lakers star’s case is bolstered since Jokic is on thin ice after his hyperextended knee kept him out for a long time. If he misses a game or two again, he simply won’t qualify on account of not having played 65 games this season.
But then, not everyone buys the notion that the MVP race is a two-horse one with Doncic holding an edge. Former Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady, for instance, has firmly thrown his support behind Jaylen Brown.
McGrady asserted that, unlike Jokic and Shai, who have a strong support cast, the Boston Celtics star is single-handedly filling the void left behind by the absence of four of their core players. McGrady argued that despite this, the Celtics are 2nd in the East with Brown averaging 29.5 points per game.
Three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker agrees with McGrady that Brown has achieved quite a lot this season. However, she also asserted that it is not right to ignore just how consistently great Doncic has also been.
“Don’t Kobe Luka,” she asserted. “Don’t get bored with greatness.”
Parker then added, “Luka Doncic is a beast, and I feel like, to some extent, we overlooked greatness because you see it for extended periods of time.”
To further establish her point, Parker even brought McGrady’s career into the discussion. She argued that he had been subjected to that treatment during his playing days.
“I think overlooking greatness means, like, if you win MVP, it’s this year… What Luka is doing, we cannot get bored with that,” Parker reiterated.
“Jaylen Brown is the MVP.” ️ @Tmac_213
Meanwhile, @Candace_Parker says it’s Luka.
“Don’t get bored with greatness.”@ZipRecruiter pic.twitter.com/NVbtNEIlv6
— Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady (@VinceAndTmac) February 8, 2026
Well, Parker’s assertion is pretty valid. Doncic has had a fair bit of help from his Lakers teammates. However, in what will be his first full season in the purple and gold jersey, the Slovenian has clearly established himself as the leader. As LeBron James himself pointed out some weeks ago, it’s Doncic‘s team.
Doncic has been severely criticized for his defensive flaws. But he has also shown that he is working on it and is improving.
Also, the Lakers are expected to fill those gaps before the beginning of the next season. The 2025-26 season, after all, is widely seen as a transitional period for them to try and test the waters with what looks like their new core of players.
In this season so far, Doncic has averaged 32.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.8 rebounds in 42 games. He has looked fitter than he’s ever been.
Even though they need a lot more from their defense to be able to compete with the likes of the OKC Thunder come playoffs, with Doncic at the helm, they are still a terrifying team to play against. And as far as the MVP race is concerned, a lot more goes into that than just the merit of the player.
