Luka Doncic’s shocking number of MVP votes sparks outrage with Lakers fans

Nypost · May 18, 2026 · 339 words · By Michael Duarte

NBA MVP Voting Controversy Luka Doncic Performance

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about NBA MVP Voting Controversy

The NBA announced the 2026 MVP on Sunday morning and there was a shocking discovery.

Claims checked 16

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The NBA announced the 2026 MVP on Sunday morning and there was a shocking discovery.

Why it matters

No, it wasn’t Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning for the second straight year, it was the fact that fourth-place finisher Luka Doncic failed to receive a single first-place vote.

Common ground

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar wasn’t expected to win the award, but he did lead the NBA in scoring this season with 33.5 points per game and won the Player of the Month Award twice.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this NBA MVP Voting Controversy story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Doncic finished first in the league in total point, points per game, usage %, total free throws made, free throws per game, three pointer per game, and points per 100 possessions?
How does this story connect NBA MVP Voting Controversy with Luka Doncic Performance over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/18/sports/luka-doncics-mvp-voting-results-leave-laker…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 16 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

schedule Pending 6

info Single Source 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

schedule

Claim 1: “Doncic finished first in the league in total point, points per game, usage %, total free throws made, free throws per game, three pointer per game, and points per 100 possessions”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 2: “Doncic finished fourth, earning one second-place vote, eight third-place votes, 60-fourth-place votes and 23 fifth-place votes from 100 media members worldwide”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results provide the exact breakdown of votes: 0 first, 1 second, 8 third, 60 fourth, and 23 fifth.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Gold medal – first place. 2017 Finland–Israel–Romania–Turkey.Dončić was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and won Rookie of the Year for the 2018–19 season.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luka_Dončić

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Doncic received zero first-place votes, one second-place vote, eight third-place votes, 60 fourth-place votes and 23 fifth-place votes. It was a surprising tally for some, especially Lakers fans, cons…
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/los-angeles-lakers/luka-doncic-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić did not receive a single first-place vote in the MVP voting as revealed on Sunday, though he did receive one second-place vote, eight third-place votes, 60 fou…
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25428900-how-many-votes-…

info

Claim 3: “won the Player of the Month Award twice”

SINGLE SOURCE

While there is evidence of his general career achievements and current team, no specific evidence in the provided results confirms he won the Player of the Month award twice in the 2025-26 season.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Since his rookie season, he has been selected to six NBA All-Star games and five All-NBA First Team selections. He also represents the Slovenian national team. Nicknamed Luka Magic, [2] he is broadly …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luka_Dončić

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Feb 28, 1999 · View the profile of Los Angeles Lakers Guard Luka Doncic on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3945274/luka-doncic

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · Luka Dončić shared some personal news after the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
https://athlonsports.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/luka-doncic-…

check_circle

Claim 4: “Cade Cunningham finished fifth”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by Nypost and corroborated by CBS Sports, which explicitly states Cade Cunningham finished fifth.

compare_arrows

cross reference SUPPORTS — Cade Cunningham finished fifth
https://nypost.com/2026/05/18/sports/lakers-fans-livid-over-…

schedule

Claim 5: “He also finished third in assists per game and sixth in steals per game”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 6: “he did lead the NBA in scoring this season with 33.5 points per game”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Basketball-Reference.com explicitly lists Luka Doncic as 1st in scoring for 2025-26 with 33.5 PPG.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Luka Dončić–Anthony Davis trade was a National Basketball Association (NBA) trade made on the night of February 1–2, 2025, which saw Luka Dončić traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luka_Dončić–Anthony_Davis_trad…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2023–24 season. The playoffs began on April 20 and concluded on June 17 with the Boston Celtics winni…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_NBA_playoffs

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Luka Dončić ( LOO-kə DON-chitch; Slovene: [ˈlùːka ˈdòːntʃitʃ]; born February 28, 1999) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luka_Dončić

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 7: “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning for the second straight year”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (NBA.com, Tim Reynolds/Web Search) confirm Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP for the second consecutive year.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2024–25 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series ended with the Western C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NBA_Finals

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2024–25 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by the reigning MVP and scoring leader Shai Gilgeous-A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NBA_playoffs

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander ( SHAY GHIL-jəs; born July 12, 1998), also known by his initials SGA, is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Bas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shai_Gilgeous-Alexander

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 8: “The NBA announced the 2026 MVP on Sunday morning”

CORROBORATED

The claim is reported by Nypost and corroborated by NBA.com and other web results stating the MVP was announced on Sunday.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven series, the Eastern Confere…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_NBA_Finals

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 NBA season is the 80th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 21, 2025 and ended on April 12, 2026. The third edition of the in-season NBA…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_NBA_season

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NBA playoffs is the ongoing postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2025–26 season. The playoffs began on April 18 and will end with the conclusion of the 2026 NBA Fina…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NBA_playoffs

+ 4 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 9: “guiding the Lakers to the fourth seed in the Western Conference”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 10: “Doncic had an incredible season, averaging 33.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.6 SPG”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

While the scoring average (33.5 PPG) is verified, there is no evidence in the provided search results for the specific RPG, APG, and SPG figures mentioned.

check_circle

Claim 11: “fourth-place finisher Luka Doncic failed to receive a single first-place vote”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including a specific report on voting results and a news article, confirm Luka Doncic finished fourth and received zero first-place votes.

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 12: “Nikola Jokic finished in second-place and received 10 first-place votes”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (CBS Sports and a specific MVP voting report) confirm Nikola Jokic finished second with 10 first-place votes.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nikola Jokić is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a center for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.Jokić was selected by the Nuggets in the second round of the 2014…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Jokić

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nikola Jokic Finishes 2nd for MVP. Along with revealing that SGA won the award, the NBA showed the rest of the MVP votes.He received 10 first-place votes, 48 second-place votes, 37 third-place votes, …
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/denver-nuggets/nikola-jokic-fin…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Cunningham got two first-place votes in the MVP balloting. He’s the first U.S.-born player to get any of those in the last five years.Jokic has now also received at least one first-place MVP vote in e…
https://www.ksat.com/sports/2026/05/18/inside-the-numbers-wh…

check_circle

Claim 13: “Victor Wembanyama finished in third-place and received five first-place votes”

CORROBORATED

Confirmed by CBS Sports and a dedicated report on Wembanyama's finish, stating he came in third with five first-place votes.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Wembanyama also plays for the French national team, with whom he won a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. At the youth level, he led his team to two silver medals, including at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Wembanyama

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The full MVP vote totals came out on Sunday night, and Wembanyama received 569 points, coming in third place in MVP voting behind the winner, SGA, and runner-up Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. The…
https://heavy.com/sports/nba/san-antonio-spurs/victor-wemban…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jokić got 10, Wembanyama received five and Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who finished fifth in the voting behind fourth-place Luka Dončić, got two first-place votes. Here are the complete voting resul…
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/shai-gilgeous-alexander-m…

schedule

Claim 14: “Doncic reportedly traveled back to Slovenia on Sunday where he plans to continue to recover from his grade 2 hamstring strain injury”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 15: “The last Laker to win MVP was Kobe Bryant in 2008”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “The Lakers haven’t had a major individual award winner since Lamar Odaom won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2011”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.