The previous generation of NBA players has always maintained that the current crop is too friendly with one another. They contend that there’s not enough competitiveness and even animosity, and that the league has lost an X factor because of it. If that’s true, then credit goes to Luka Doncic and Dennis Schroder for bringing some good old-fashioned hate back into the game.
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Schroeder is currently serving a three-game suspension for “confronting and attempting to strike another player.” According to reports, the player Schroder attacked after the game between the Lakers and the Kings at Crypto.com Arena on December 28 was Luka.
Internet detectives quickly surmised that Luka’s incessant trash talk was to blame for Schroder’s anger. A clip from the game was also circulated as proof of the instigation.
“You should’ve signed that contract, baby,” Luka is seen chirping in the video. The dig was a reference to Schroder turning down a four-year, $84 million contract extension from the Lakers back in 2021. On the latest episode of No Fouls Given, Paul Pierce has come out in support of Schroder, stating that no one has the right to take a dig at someone for losing money.
This is why Dennis Schroder swung on Luka in the tunnel after the game pic.twitter.com/pPhXAWi59D
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) January 11, 2026
“You’re talking about a man’s paper, and that’s a sensitive subject,” said Pierce, “because he lost out on a lot of money. You don’t wanna hear that… That’s almost like messing with somebody’s girl or something like that.”
Since 2021, Schroder has landed on his feet. However, after rejecting that Lakers offer, he ended up settling for just a one-year deal worth $5.9 million from the Celtics. That’s still a lot of money to the average person, but a massive downgrade from what he could have earned.
For his part, Schroder doesn’t seem to regret his decision to confront Doncic. He even commented on Shams Charania’s post about his suspension, by writing, “Attempting,” with the eyeballs emoji and a laughing emoji. That made it feel like he didn’t just attempt to strike Luka, he actually connected, and that he’s not sorry about it.
In fairness, Luka has had this coming for a while. He’s one of the best players in the league, but he’s also a relentless bully, and he has no problem getting into it with players, refs, and even fans.
Who can forget his verbal assault on Rudy Gobert after hitting a game-winning shot over him in the 2024 Western Conference Finals? It was only a matter of time until someone decided it was enough. And that someone was Schroder. “Luka wrote a check that his a** couldn’t cash,” Pierce laughed about the situation.
Schroder served the first game of his suspension in the Kings’ Sunday night win over the Rockets. He’ll still be out when the Lakers come to town Monday night. Seeing him face Luka again so soon after the incident would have been high theater, but we’ll have to settle for the crowd at the Golden 1 Center roasting Luka during the game.
The Kings and the Lakers do play one more time this season, on March 1 in L.A. We’ll see what happens when Schroder returns to the scene of the crime.
