E-Paper
Luka Doncic injury news: What is Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge? Lakers star's only hope for MVP
Lakers star Luka Doncic injured his left hamstring during Thursday’s loss to the Thunder and will undergo an MRI to determine the severity.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic injured his left hamstring Thursday night during a 139-97 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lakers coach JJ Redick confirmed that the league’s leading scorer will undergo an MRI on Friday to assess the extent of the injury.
Redick said Doncic first felt discomfort in the first half and received treatment during halftime. “We checked him out, he got work done, he was cleared,” Redick explained.
Doncic briefly returned to the court but after spinning and attempting a shot against Thunder guard Jalen Williams, he stopped and fell to the floor in visible pain, leaving the game with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter. “Those things happen,” Redick added.
Donic's agent indicated that his team is filing for Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge, to make the Slovenian eligible for this year's MVP award.
Also Read: Luka Doncic injury update: Lakers star's MVP chances still alive; agent issues postseason update
What is Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge?
Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge is a formal grievance process in the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that allows a player who falls short of the 65-game rule to still be eligible for major end-of-season awards (MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, All-NBA, and All-Defensive teams).
The NBA introduced the 65-game rule starting in the 2023–24 season to discourage players from resting or ‘load managing’ too much during the regular season. To qualify for the big awards, a player must play in at least 65 games (and meet minimum minutes requirements).
However, the league recognized that some players might miss games due to circumstances truly beyond their control. Luka missed games due to his daughter's birth.
Also Read: AJ Brown trade news: Eagles, Patriots discuss terms of new contract; shocking update in
How it works
A player (or their team) can file an Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge only during a very short window:
No earlier than 12:00 PM ET on the last day of the regular season.
No later than 11:59 PM ET the day after the regular season ends.
The player must prove all three of the following to an independent "Challenge Expert" (jointly selected by the NBA and NBPA):
Due to extraordinary circumstances, it was "impracticable" for him to play in one or more of the games he missed.
He would have met the 65-game requirement if he had played in every game missed due to those extraordinary circumstances (assuming he would have played at least 20 minutes in each).
Taking into account the totality of the circumstances (including whether he sat out other games he could have played), it would be unjust to exclude him from award eligibility.
If the Challenge Expert rules in the player’s favor, the only remedy is that the player is deemed eligible for the awards. There is no other penalty or compensation.
