Right when the NBA world is debating Luka Doncic’s standing in the league right now, one of his most spectacular moments from last season resurfaced in the best way. In a lighthearted moment amid intense preseason preparations, the Los Angeles Lakers surprised their superstar guard in front of his teammates with an official league award trophy. Head coach JJ Redick gathered the squad at practice to present Doncic with the NBA’s “Handle of the Year” trophy for the 2025–26 season, honoring a viral, slick between-the-legs move and trick play executed against Kevin Love and the Utah Jazz.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The official Lakers social media accounts posted the video of the moment Luka Doncic received his trophy.
“We had an individual on our team win an award from last season,” Redick announced to the team during a huddle. “Luka won the NBA’s Handle of the Year for a very specific play.”
The announcement caught Doncic off guard as his teammates erupted into applause. Co-star Austin Reaves, always one to keep Luka humble, playfully booed him before joining the rest of the roster in chanting “speech, speech!” as Doncic accepted the hardware.
Doncic did not listen to the masses. Instead, they called a huddle which they broke with a chant of “together!”
The highlight-reel play that ultimately earned the Slovenian star the NBA’s Handle of the Year award took place during a regular-season matchup against the Utah Jazz in December 2025 (newly acquired Laker, Walker Kessler was not playing in that game). The Lakers guard put his signature creativity on full display by intercepting a pass, then used a nutmeg dribble to get past Jazz big man Kevin Love and create a fast break to make an alley-oop pass to Jaxson Hayes who finished with a one-handed jam.
The jaw-dropping sequence instantly went viral across social media as one of the most inventive and electrifying trick plays of the entire season, perfectly encapsulating the elite court vision and flair that left both fans and opponents and even his teammates in awe.
In a separate reaction video released by the franchise, fellow Lakers players were awed by Doncic’s signature creativity while watching that exact award-winning play.
“Impressive stuff right there,” noted Chris Manon.
Sandro Mamukelashvili gave the highlight high praise, saying, “That was tough… always wanted to do something like that… 10/10.”
Jake LaRavia added, “He just be coming up with stuff mid-game. It was definitely fire.”
While the locker room celebrated Doncic’s individual flair, the annual NBA General Manager survey delivered a far more sobering evaluation of his MVP candidacy and the Lakers’ championship outlook for the 2026–27 campaign.
In the official poll of league executives, Doncic received zero votes to win the 2026–27 Kia MVP award. San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama dominated the category with 77% of the vote, followed by Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (10%). Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards (7%) and reigning 2x MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as Celtics centerpiece Jayson Tatum, also received more votes than the Lakers star.
The brutal verdict extended to franchise building blocks and title predictions as well. When GMs were asked which single player they would sign today to start a franchise, Wembanyama earned 93% of the vote, while SGA and Dallas’ post-Luka cornerstone, Cooper Flagg, captured the remaining share. Further, the Lakers received zero votes to win the 2027 NBA Finals, with GMs overwhelmingly favoring the Spurs (50%) and Oklahoma City Thunder (43%).
That left Doncic and the Lakers at the bottom of the GM barrel.
Cumulative Western Conference projections placed the Lakers sixth, behind San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Denver, and Houston. Front-office executives expressed hesitation regarding the Lakers’ roster construction following LeBron James’ departure, casting doubt on whether a new core headlined by Doncic, Reaves, and newly acquired center Walker Kessler possesses enough surrounding talent to contend in a stacked Western Conference.
Adding to the confusion, GMs voted Doncic as the league’s “best small forward” for the second consecutive year with 37% of the vote, despite Basketball Reference tracking virtually all of his minutes at point guard and shooting guard. The odd positional classification drew widespread mockery from fans on social media, who accused executives of shifting Doncic to forward to avoid ranking him directly against point guards like SGA and Jalen Brunson.
With a retooled roster, injuries already manifesting, and heavy expectations from LakeShow, Doncic faces immense pressure to elevate a reconfigured roster. While league executives remain skeptical of his MVP chances and the Lakers’ championship ceiling, Redick and his squad appear focused on fostering chemistry as they prepare to prove the doubters wrong.