A Golden State Warriors star delivered a bold statement about Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic ahead of their NBA regular season opener on Wednesday.
Talking on his podcast, Draymond Green of the Warriors said Doncic will never win an MVP in his career if he does not win one this season. This comes ahead of their season-opening clash.
“Luka will never win an MVP in the NBA. This is the last possible year he can win it,” Green said.
Green then argued that voter fatigue and high expectations turn dominant stats like 34 points per game into an expected baseline rather than an award-worthy feat
“If Luka averages 34 points a game, people are going to say, ‘Oh, yeah, of course Luka averages 34 points a game.’ And JT can average 30, and they’re going to say, ‘Oh, yeah, we know he can average 30 points a game.’”
“Both of them can average 30, 11 and 8, and people will say, ‘Yeah, we know they’re supposed to do that.’ It won’t be viewed the same way as somebody else putting up those numbers. People get fatigued by it. The same thing happened with LeBron James. You can’t tell me he should only have four MVPs.”
– Draymond Green
(Via @DraymondShow)
Luka Doncic Has Been A Perennial MVP Candidate
Doncic continues to face heavy headwinds against perennial MVP forces like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and rising stars like Victor Wembanyama and Anthony Edwards.
Doncic has consistently finished near the top of the NBA Most Valuable Player voting throughout his career, cementing his status as a perennial contender despite not yet winning the award.
He first burst into the MVP conversation during his sophomore 2019-2020 season, where he finished fourth overall and became one of the youngest players ever to land in the top five.
He followed that up with a sixth-place finish in 2020-2021 and a fifth-place finish in 2021-2022. After a brief dip to eighth place during the 2022-2023 campaign, Doncic achieved his highest-ever finish in 2023-2024, coming in third place as the runner-up behind Jokic and SGA.
Most recently, in the 2025-2026 season, Doncic captured another scoring title but ultimately finished fourth overall in the balloting behind winner Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Wembanyama.
This year, Doncic is expected to carry a heavy load with the departure of LeBron James from Los Angeles. Just like the past few seasons, the ball will again be on his hands for most of possessions.
If Green’s prediction were to happen, Doncic would join the list of NBA greats who have not won the MVP honors, such as Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony.
How To Watch Luka’s Lakers Face Off Draymond’s Warriors
You can watch the Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers game live through NBA League Pass with a subscription, or via regional and national partner networks like ESPN, ABC, NBC, or Prime Video depending on your region.
The matchup will happen on Wednesday, October 21, at 10:00 PM ET and will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
The two teams played two preseason games during the 2026-2027 NBA preseason.
The Warriors won both matchups: a 26-point victory at the Chase Center on October 6 and a 12-point win in Las Vegas on October 13.
Warriors Star Sends Mind Games To Luka Doncic Ahead Of Lakers Opener