Lakers HC JJ Redick Calls Out Media Bias and Says Luka Doncic Deserved MVP Finalist Spot
Luka Doncic led the NBA in scoring this season, averaging 33.5 points per game, and fought his way through an eligibility battle just to stay in award conversations. After all that, he still did not make the cut as an MVP finalist. Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick had thoughts.
Speaking to reporters, as shared by Daniel Starkand of LakerNation on X, Redick did not hold back when asked about Doncic being left off the list alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama.
"Disappointed. I think he deserved to be there and I think all three guys that did end up being finalists had strong cases. A lot of this, unfortunately, is media momentum. Sometimes a team, I guess we underperformed even though we didn't have any expectations coming into the year. But I guess we underperformed for a couple months despite him getting Player of the Month one of those months. The media momentum just never got built."JJ Redick
JJ Redick's reaction to Luka not being named an MVP finalist:
- Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) April 22, 2026
"Disappointed. I think he deserved to be there and I think all three guys that did end up being finalists had strong cases. A lot of this, unfortunately, is media momentum. Sometimes a team, I guess we underperformed…
The MVP finalists were announced on April 19, the same day the Lakers opened their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets with a 107-98 win without Doncic, who has been sidelined since April 2 with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Doncic had also fought an eligibility battle heading into awards season. He played 64 games, one short of the required 65, after traveling to Slovenia for the birth of his daughter. The NBA granted him relief under the extraordinary circumstances provision in the collective bargaining agreement, restoring his eligibility for MVP and All-NBA consideration.
JJ Redick on Media Bias and the Pressure of Coaching the Lakers
Redick went further when asked whether the perceived media bias against the Lakers bothers him or serves as motivation heading into the playoffs.
"I think it's the fascinating part about the Lakers. There's probably a few other franchises that fall in this category. You're living in this perfect gray at all times, where the expectations internally, the expectations from fans are one thing, and the expectations from the media can be a completely different thing. I worked in television for three years. I know it's important for the producers of shows to talk about the Lakers, and not always in a positive way. That's just part of this whole experience. Being on the other side of it gave me great, I think, perspective on that. I'm not motivated by internal or external expectations, or internal or external hate, or love, or anything like that. I've never been."JJ Redick
More from JJ Redick on the perceived media bias against the Lakers when it comes to awards and if he uses that as motivation:
- Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) April 22, 2026
"I think it's the fascinating part about the Lakers. There's probably a few other franchises that fall in this category. You're living in this perfect…
It is a notably clear-eyed take from a second-year head coach who spent years in broadcasting before taking this job. Redick understands how the system works, and he is not pretending otherwise.
With Doncic recovering from the hamstring injury and the Lakers already up 2-0 against Houston, the MVP conversation will fade for now. Whether he returns this series remains to be seen, but his regular-season case was real, and his coach made sure people knew it.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/lakers/onsi as Lakers HC JJ Redick Calls Out Media Bias and Says Luka Doncic Deserved MVP Finalist Spot.
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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 7:00 AM.