Former WNBA player shares her honest thoughts on Luka Doncic’s MVP candidacy.

Former WNBA legend Candace Parker isn’t holding back when it comes to the NBA’s MVP race. From her perspective, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić should be the clear frontrunner, and the fact that he isn’t says more about voter fatigue than anything lacking in his game.

While appearing on the Cousins podcast with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Parker offered a comparison that hit home right away: Dončić is being “Kobe’d.” Not disrespected. Not doubted. Just overly familiar.

“Don’t Kobe Luka,” Parker said. “Don’t get bored with greatness. Luka Dončić is a beast, and I think sometimes when you see greatness for a long time, you start to overlook it.”

Luka’s MVP case is simple

Since arriving in Los Angeles, Dončić has been the driving force keeping the Lakers relevant in the title picture. Over 42 games, he’s averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game, leading the league in scoring while propping up a roster hit by injuries and inconsistency.

By any historical measure, those are MVP-worthy numbers. Still, Dončić remains just outside the top tier of MVP buzz, largely because the Lakers sit sixth in the Western Conference and are fighting to stay out of the Play-In Tournament.

That win-first, context-later approach is exactly what Parker is challenging.

Parker understands the city and the storyline

Parker’s opinion carries added credibility. The former No. 1 overall pick spent 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, earning Rookie of the Year honors and two MVP awards along the way. She knows firsthand how prolonged excellence in Los Angeles can sometimes fade into the background.

Her argument isn’t that team success should be ignored—it’s that individual dominance shouldn’t be discounted simply because it’s become expected.

“What Luka is doing, we cannot get bored with that,” Parker said. “If you win MVP, it’s this year.”

A familiar pattern

Dončić has been in MVP discussions since his second NBA season but has never truly broken through in the voting. Aside from last season—when he played just 50 total games split between Dallas and Los Angeles—he’s earned First Team All-NBA honors five straight years and logged three top-five MVP finishes.

His best result came in the 2023–24 season, when he finished third, receiving just four first-place votes. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned 15, while Denver’s Nikola Jokić ran away with the award at 74.

The Kobe Bryant comparison isn’t random

Parker’s warning draws directly from NBA history. Kobe Bryant, one of the most dominant players ever, finished his career with only one MVP award in 2008—a fact that still feels unfinished.

In 2006 and 2007, Bryant led the league in scoring with averages of 35.4 and 31.6 points per game, dragging flawed Lakers teams into playoff contention. MVP voters, however, favored cleaner storylines and stronger team records, awarding the honors to Steve Nash in 2006 and Dirk Nowitzki in 2007 after Dallas won 67 games.

Parker sees the takeaway clearly: sustained greatness often fades into the background. Dončić is currently averaging the second-highest scoring mark of his career, getting to the free-throw line a career-best 10.9 times per game, and nearly averaging a triple-double.

At just 26 years old, Dončić still has time to win an MVP. But if voters aren’t compelled by what he’s doing now, it may only get harder as stars like Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, and others continue to pile up eye-popping stat lines.

A different MVP angle

During the same discussion, Tracy McGrady made a case for Boston’s Jaylen Brown, pointing to the Celtics’ ability to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference despite injuries and Jayson Tatum’s absence.

It’s a reasonable argument and one voters often lean on. But Parker’s position goes deeper. For her, MVP isn’t just about standings—it’s about acknowledging when a player is setting a new standard for excellence.

At this moment, that player is Luka Dončić. And if voters hesitate because his dominance feels familiar, Parker’s message is clear: consistency doesn’t make greatness any less meaningful.