Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony believe Luka Doncic should still be eligible for NBA awards, arguing that missing games for the birth of his child is a valid reason and shouldn’t be held against him.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has played 64 games this season, putting up incredible numbers with a league-leading 33.5 points per game. However, he may be ineligible for major awards like MVP and All-NBA due to the NBA’s 65-game rule.
Los Angeles Lakers / Schedule
Doncic is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season as he recovers from a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He is currently in Spain, working to speed up his recovery process.
Still, there is a glimmer of hope.
Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Basketball, revealed that Luka plans to file an “Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge,” a provision included in the NBA’s participation policy.
This rule allows players to appeal if exceptional circumstances made it impractical for them to play in certain games.
In Luka’s case, he missed two games earlier this season due to the birth of his second daughter.
NBA legends Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony believe that should count in his favor.
“It’s the birth of his child, it’s not an injury, it’s not load management,” McGrady said.
“This is the birth of his child. Where you gotta fly to another country. I’m sure the league is gonna do right by that.”
“This is the international players. If they need to get back to take care of family matters and they’re missing games, they shouldn’t be penalized for that,” Anthony added.
While Doncic is set to miss the rest of the regular season, he is doing everything possible to return sooner than expected and could still be available for the first round of the playoffs.
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