There’s the trope – if you look like you don’t want it, they’d give it to you. Then there’s Luka Doncic. And you can’t blame him… Everyone in LakeShow, even the ultimate Los Angeles Lakers legend himself, has been on a campaign. Since the Dallas Mavericks grossly undermined him, Luka Doncic started the fresh 2025-26 season putting up elite numbers in every game. But he’s third in the latest MVP rankings. Most doubt he has what it takes to scale the climb, but does he?

Someone had to ask Doncic if he was aiming for the MVP award after his ground-breaking triple-double last night. And briefly, for those who missed it, the top two spots were dominated by Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But we got a somewhat diplomatic answer from the Lakers star.

“I just play my game,” Doncic said of the present MVP reality. “You never know what’s gonna happen. Obviously, I want it. Anybody in the world that plays basketball want it. So will see what happens.”

Doncic sounded rather glum. Can the media really fault him, though? Especially after his obscene number of turnovers (nine) was heavily criticized, despite having 38 points and 11 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns. Soon after, he flew to Slovenia for the birth of his second daughter. During that time, the Lakers beat the Raptors, LeBron James‘ scoring streak ended, and they lost to the Celtics in a game in which Austin Reaves had 44, but the team was shorthanded.

Doncic then returned after a two-game absence to rally the Lakers to a 108-112 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Not only did James redeem his double-digit scoring streak, but Doncic picked up right where he left off, recording 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists. Yet, he’s not close to MVP contention…

But you can’t fault Doncic for being the way he is. He has come so close to the conversation many times, especially when he took the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2024. Months later, the Slovenian star was still a contender when that infamous trade went down, orchestrated by Nico Harrison.

Lakers fans are, of course, the most vocal on this subject, understandably so when Magic Johnson is leading the charge.

Magic Johnson makes a huge MVP bid for Luka Doncic

Lakers Nation has never been this excited about the MVP race for a couple of years. They’ve not had a player they could campaign for in a while now (because let’s face it, James has not been in that discussion for a hot minute).

The franchise icon facilitating this discussion is Magic Johnson. Lately, he’s been pointing out the issues his Lakers need to fix. And last night, he gave Doncic a huge push in the MVP race.

“LeBron James was nothing short of spectacular, scoring 11 straight points in the 4th quarter (including three straight 3-pointers) and finishing with 29 total points tonight to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-108!” Johnson wrote in a typical Magic-esque tweet. “The NBA’s leading candidate for MVP, Luka Dončić, had a triple-double with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists! The Lakers are the most entertaining team in the NBA right now.”

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Interesting that Johnson refers to Doncic as the NBA’s leading candidate for MVP. Many would argue that the race is split between the 2025 and 2024 award winners, and that’s been the Slovenian player’s life story for a long, long time.

Doncic’s individual stats have almost always matched The Joker. But Jokic has always been in a better position with his team to outclass him.

However, the Lakers are not the Mavericks. They’re near-equal to the Denver Nuggets and much better offensively when Doncic is on the floor. They’re the second seed in the West and, in fact, tied with Jokic’s team, well ahead of the Slovenian player’s former team. That should count for something.

Then again, SGA is a far more efficient player, with fewer turnovers and a better defense. Jokic, too, has a better assist-to-turnover ratio. And Doncic’s turnover problem persists, as does the entire Lakers’.

Despite the numbers, Doncic and his team will have to do a lot more for Magic Johnson and the fanbase to have an MVP in Purple & Gold.

Kobe Bryant was the last Lakers player to win it in 2008.