Los Angeles Lakers star Luke Doncic has been fine $50,000 for directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gestures towards a game official, it was announced on Tuesday by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations with the NBA.
The incident occurred with 4:35 remaining in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 110-97 victory over the New York Knicks on March 8 at Crypto.com Arena.
Did Luka Doncic just signal what I think he signaled with his hands? 😬 pic.twitter.com/FKGgJpj5kd
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 8, 2026
Doncic was not given a technical foul for the gesture as the officials likely did not see it at the time. Considering he is currently at 15 technicals and one away from a mandatory one-game suspension, that is good news for Doncic and the Lakers.
This fine comes during a long-running feud between Doncic, the Lakers and NBA officiating. Many people feel Doncic’s complaining has reached its boiling point, leading to criticism of the Slovenian superstar.
His passion for the game is well-documented though, and sometimes it boils over when he is unhappy with a call or no-call by the officials. This fine appears to be a bit of a warning sign for Doncic, who again, is one technical foul away from a suspension.
The Lakers are in the midst of a tight playoff race in a loaded Western Conference, so they will need Doncic on the floor down the stretch helping them win games as opposed to serving a suspension.
JJ Redick defends Luka Doncic amid criticism
While Luka Doncic has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism lately, his head coach JJ Redick came to the Lakers star’s defense.
“Look, I think he’s a special kind of player, special kind of person and a special kind of competitor,” Redick said before Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. “I would much rather have someone who is trying to go out every night and kill than someone you have to revive with a defibrillator every other day. So, I’ll take Luka all day long.”
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