Luka Doncic’s arrival in Los Angeles has brought a fresh spark to the Lakers, with the young star quickly making his presence felt. However, underneath the standout performances, there’s a deep-rooted problem with Luka’s game that was highlighted yet again tonight in their loss to the Bulls.
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While the team’s overall defensive struggles contributed to the defeat, much of the attention shifted to Doncic’s on-court demeanor, particularly his constant pleas to referees for missed calls. Shannon Sharpe has had enough of the antics and wants him to cut it out.
While discussing Luka’s notorious habit on Nightcap, Sharpe didn’t hold back. Sharpe expressed concern that Doncic’s incessant begging is putting the Lakers at a disadvantage. He argued that while the Slovenian is busy lobbying for calls, the game continues, leaving the Lakers vulnerable to fast breaks and defensive mismatches.
Sharpe said, “Luka’s gotta stop this damn complaining, bro. It’s annoying as F.” He wants Luka to accept that he won’t get a foul call on every plea. And while he argues with the ref, his team is left vulnerable with a five-on-four game going on. Sharpe wants LeBron James to follow the same strategy as well, but his issues aren’t as glaring as Luka’s.
If Sharpe’s criticism reaches Luka, he won’t be surprised at all because he has acknowledged this flaw himself.
During a conversation with the Inside the NBA crew in 2021, Luka said, “This season has been long with the officials. I wasn’t myself this season. I’m complaining way too much, and I’ve gotta work on that. I just have to stay calm and not talk to them, I have to learn from that.”
“I wasn’t myself this season. Complaining way too much. I have to work on that.”
Luka checked in with the Inside guys after Dallas’ win. pic.twitter.com/5XO3E15O9r
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 7, 2021
The young superstar is self-aware and probably sees these mistakes after each game. He just needs to make it a point to get rid of it once and for all. His former coach, Jason Kidd, has also expressed his issue with Luka’s on-court attitude. After losing a game to the Pelicans in 2021, Kidd berated Luka for his habit.
Kidd said, “I would lean towards playing five on five a little bit more [than complaining]. You’re not going to get any calls. Officials, they tend not to stop the game to change calls. So you’d have to understand…that there’s a point in time in games, dead ball, to be able to talk to the officials.”
At the time, Luka had said that his coach made some great points and that he’d be working on himself. However, after nearly four years and now being in a new market, he is still struggling with the same problem. Luka Doncic needs to understand that the Lakers can’t afford to have anything less than his 100% on the floor, even for a second.
