The spotlight is brighter than ever after Luka Doncic’s recent ejection stirred controversy. The ejection came during the Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Tuesday. After hitting a fourth-quarter jumper, Doncic exchanged words – not with a ref, but with a courtside fan. At least, that’s what he insists.
In the post-game press conference, he said the comments were playful trash talk with a familiar face in the crowd, not aimed at the official.
“I never got offended never,” Doncic said (0:13). “But if he’s going to talk I’m going to talk back, that that had nothing to do with the ref.”
Still, the referee saw it differently. Interpreting the exchange as disrespect, the ref hit Doncic with a second technical foul, tossing him from the game. Doncic, stunned, watched the final stretch from the locker room, helpless as the Lakers battled without him.
“That’s on me. I can’t let my team down like that,” he said, taking the blame.
The fan at the center of it all – Jeremy Price, nicknamed the “courtside tattoo dude” – backed Doncic’s version. Price told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the two had been trading jabs all game. He joked about Doncic’s shots falling short. Price believed the ref, J.T. Orr, misunderstood the banter and overreacted.
“Luca turned back around and shot a verbal spar back at him, and the fan believed that the referee, J.T., thought it was aimed at him, when the fan admitted it was aimed at him,” McMenamin said.
Now, all eyes turn to Dallas. Former Mavericks star returns to Dallas for the first time as a visitor when the LA Lakers take on the Mavericks Wednesday night. Doncic admits he’s unsure how he’ll feel when he steps back onto that court. The trade’s still fresh in his mind, and the emotions are layered.
“Of course, it’s going to be a lot of emotion for me,” Doncic said (1:47). “Like, I don’t really know what to expect. I don’t know how I’m going to feel, honestly. I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas… it’s going to be very emotional for me, for sure.”
Despite the past, Doncic expects the Mavs faithful to show love. He left Dallas on seemingly good terms and looks forward to seeing old teammates. But his focus is firmly on his new team, and on getting the win.
“It’s my new team,” he said. “We’re going for the win tomorrow.”
The Lakers point guard praised the bond Doncic’s built in L.A., calling his new teammates “a pretty good team” who’ve already clicked.
Shaquille O’Neal blames Luka Doncic for ejection
Shaquille O’Neal didn’t hold back when discussing Luka Doncic’s ejection. Speaking on NBA on TNT, the Hall of Famer placed full responsibility on the Mavericks star, urging him to show more control during high-stakes moments.
O’Neal referenced the official report, which said Doncic received his first technical for using profanity toward a referee and the second for looking directly at the official while repeating vulgar language. Although some footage showed a fan behind the referee, O’Neal believed the comments were clearly interpreted as targeting the official – especially given Doncic’s history.
“Was he talking to a ref or fan, we don’t know,” O’Neal said. “But because he has a history of always looking back and talking to the ref.”
While former NBA legend avoided calling it “complaining,” O’Neal hinted that the constant chatter may have pushed the referee’s patience too far.
He recalled another playoff game where fan interaction fired Doncic up. But this time, O’Neal argued, the situation called for restraint, especially after receiving one technical.
“I blame Luka for this because, one, we need this game,” he said (1:00). “You already got one technical [foul], leave it alone. You can look at the fan and smile and do all that, but we need you in this game. We don’t want to mess around.”
O’Neal acknowledged that Doncic, like stars such as LeBron James and even himself, gets fouled often.
Yes, Doncic’s fire and fan interaction often drive him to big nights, but Shaq O’Neal believes the risk of ejection isn’t worth it. He doubts Luka Doncic will stop engaging with officials, especially during the playoffs when opposing fans will try to rile him up.
READ: The Contentious Ejection of Luka Doncic and the Lakers-Thunder Thriller
