Luka Doncic has caught a ton of flak this year for constantly complaining to the referees. It happens almost every game, and has gotten to a point where many believe it’s affecting the way the Los Angeles Lakers’ games are called, and not in a good way.
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Doncic’s complaints also works to an extent. He averages the most free throw attempts per game with 10.4, which has helped him lead the league in scoring. Still, at times, his attitude can impact the team ranks.
Recently, Doncic had an interaction with head coach JJ Redick that looked awkward. During a game, the Lakers coach followed him to his seat and looked to say something critical to his star player as he sat down. As Redick walked away, Doncic stood up again to say something before Jarred Vanderbilt got in his path.
It’s this type of behavior by the Slovenian that Udonis Haslem thinks needs to be addressed. On top of this, Haslem wants to see Doncic stop whining and complaining so much.
“The next step of evolution for Luka, stop whining. Stop complaining to the refs. You’re not gonna beg your way to a title or cry your way to a championship,” Haslem said on NBA on Prime. They were harsh words, but maybe they are exactly what Doncic needs to hear.
Luka needs to get better at controlling his emotions during games. That will lift the team too… From the current situation in which, despite Doncic’s heleague-leading scoring figures, nobody is seriously considering the Lakers as title contenders. This is something Haslem has seen in the evolution of Jayson Tatum over the years.
Udonis Haslem compares Luka whining to the refs to a young Jayson Tatum:
“The next step of evolution for Luka, stop whining. Stop complaining to the refs. Your not gonna beg your way to a title or cry your way to a championship…. I remember this with a young Tatum, and he has… pic.twitter.com/oBAofjXwt1
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 6, 2026
“I remember this with a young Tatum, and he has evolved and made these changes. When we were in those battles with the Celtics, as soon as he started complaining to the refs, I’d tell our guys, ‘Now we got him,’” Haslem shared, talking about how Tatum’s emotional outbursts gave the opposing team an edge.
When the young Tatum was involved in complaining and not the game at hand, that’s when Haslem knew that his team, the Miami Heat, were going to prevail. It’s sort of what we saw unfold with Doncic when he went to the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks against the Boston Celtics in 2024. There were moments throughout that series where he let his emotions get the best of him with the refs.
Doncic has surely heard it from everyone by now that he needs to tone down the aggressive complaining during games. At 27, some are starting to wonder if he’ll ever kick the habit.
