A lot of eyes will be on Luka Doncic heading into the 2025\/26 season, with his body transformation being one of the most talked-about stories of the summer. It will be his first full campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers, who, with Doncic as their centerpiece, are aiming for the ultimate prize. What remains to be seen is whether he\u2019s ready to be the protagonist and perhaps the best player in the league.<\/p>\n
Doncic isn\u2019t new to dealing with high expectations. He was\u00a0the\u00a0main guy during his time in Dallas, and even carried them to a Finals appearance in 2024, where they were only stopped by a seemingly unstoppable Boston Celtics<\/a> <\/strong>team. But the Lakers are something different.<\/p>\n The 17-time NBA champions are looking to move on from LeBron James<\/a><\/strong> as their number one option, and for a franchise as storied as theirs, there isn\u2019t much room for a transition period. That means Doncic will be expected to carry the Lakers\u2019 title aspirations on his back from the very get-go, and, according to Tim Hardaway, make a run at MVP while doing it.<\/p>\n Hardaway Sr., as a matter of fact, is backing Doncic as his 2025\/26 MVP. The five-time All-Star was recently asked for his pick during an interview with Action Network. Not only did he choose Doncic, but he also argued that there should already be an MVP award in his trophy case.<\/p>\n \u201cHe actually should have probably won it one time, but I\u2019m gonna go with Luka Doncic,\u201d said Hardaway. \u201cI think that if he has a really, really good year. If he has a good year like he normally has and they end up in the upper echelons, 1-4 seed. Right around there. I think he has a really, really, really good chance of winning MVP.\u201d<\/p>\n Team success is the key. Doncic\u2019s stats have always been there, but MVP voters favor winning records. Dallas<\/a><\/strong> hasn\u2019t always provided that cushion, which is why, despite nearly averaging a triple-double a couple of seasons ago, the MVP title remained out of reach. Hardaway, however, is confident this year will be different.<\/p>\n \u201cHe should have won it probably about two years ago. But he didn\u2019t win it,\u201d the five-time All-Star added.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt that Doncic is a generational talent. Just look at his performances in EuroBasket up until Slovenia\u2019s elimination in the quarterfinals last night. In seven games, he averaged 35 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds, carrying his nation single-handedly into the last eight. That said, Hardaway believes the NBA game is a different challenge.<\/p>\n The former Golden State Warrior feels Doncic still has to silence critics who aren\u2019t fully convinced, and that his physical transformation<\/a><\/strong> will mean nothing if he doesn\u2019t deliver some crucial wins for the Lakers.<\/p>\n