The post-game report sees referees claim Luka Doncic directed verbal abuse at them, while Jarred Vanderbilt reveals interesting information.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost in the most frustrating fashion to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game was extremely close until the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic, who had already gotten a technical, got himself ejected. However, he and many others claimed he was aiming his trash talk at a fan sitting courtside, not at the referees.
NBA fans were understandably frustrated with Luka Doncic’s ejection. Even JJ Redick and LeBron James questioned why Doncic was assessed a second technical.
Well, with the NBA referees’ Pool Report out now, we see their reasoning. And it appears there is either some confusion on their end, or some dishonesty.
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The NBA usually releases what they call a ‘Pool Report‘ after games, where the press get to ask questions to the referees about the game.
Several reporters asked about Luka Doncic’s ejection. The referees consistently claimed that Luka Doncic directed verbal abuse at them.
“He [Luka Doncic] directed profanity at a game official. He looked directly at an official and used vulgar language.”
Luka Doncic wasn’t hurling abuse at the referees, but rather, a fan seated right behind them was trash-talking him.
Even the fan questioned the decision to eject Luka and admitted that he and Doncic have a history of talking trash to each other.
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Speaking after the game, Jarred Vanderbilt spoke about the Luka Doncic ejection. Vanderbilt, who got a technical from the referees as well, believes there’s more to the story.
In fact, the referee refused to let Doncic plead his case, saying he would speak to anyone but the Slovenian. The Lakers star speculated that the referees had some personal issue with Doncic.
“The ref was just like, ‘I don’t want to talk. I will talk to anybody but Luka [Doncic].’ It seemed a little personal at that point. He was just advocating for me.”
If what Vanderbilt, Doncic, and the rest of the Lakers are claiming is true, then the NBA need to look into this further.
Because the referees may have just ruined one of the best games of the season for their own personal vendetta.
