Every NBA player complains. Even the most mild-mannered player, on occasion, will give the referee a "No way" or throw their hands up in anguish. But while most players have a semi-cordial relationship with officials even when calls don't go their way, Luka Doncic and the refs have more of an "arch nemesis" vibe going.
This isn't breaking news, of course; Luka's inclination toward berating referees stretches back to his Mavericks days. From 2021 to 2024, he had at least 15 technicals in every season, and he's on pace to break a career-high this year, currently sitting at 13 with nearly two months remaining.
But when Doncic's histrionics toward referees actually impact the game while it's happening — like was the case on Sunday — they're hard to ignore, and infinitely frustrating. It's not an exaggeration to say that the momentum of a game can shift with one or two Doncic outbursts toward the refs.
When Doncic hit that 3-pointer, it cut the Celtics lead down to one. But by staying on the floor and screaming at the referees, it allowed a fast break layup for the Celtics, who ended up leading by 10 at the half and never looked back in the second half.
It wasn't the moment that lost the game for the Lakers. They lost by 22. But in games that are close, Doncic's monumental offensive talent and production are chewed into by his own mental lapses.
Luka Doncic may be incapable of not complaining to the referees
For years, we've heard about how Luka knows his constant complaining is a problem and how he wants to fix it. Sometimes, Doncic will go a few weeks without any real incidents on the court. He's not No. 1 in techs right now, to be fair, as that distinction belongs to Dillon Brooks.
But overall, it doesn't feel like he's made any headway in regulating his emotions on the court, and you still never really know when these outbursts will happen. Last night, he stayed on the ground and complained after he made a shot!
Luka is leading the league in scoring and usage rate. The Lakers are obviously better with him than without him. But last night, after his tantrum, the broadcast booth said the "next step" for him is to stop whining so much. That's ridiculous. He's 26 years old — talking about "next steps" regarding his behavior is babying a grown man. He's hurting the Lakers every time he pulls something like this, and it's beyond time to move past this.