Luka Dončić has the talent to be a top-five NBA player of all-time, but his reputation for being a whiner and often out of shape precedes him.
Dončić appears to have answered the out of shape concerns this season. But his tendency to whine and complain over fouls and non-fouls is proving to be a tough reputation to shake.
With the Los Angeles Lakers trailing the Charlotte Hornets by 10 points early in the third quarter Thursday night, Dončić attempted to take a shot and draw a foul against rookie Kon Knueppel. He wasn’t successful on the shot attempt, but Dončić thought he was at least successful in drawing a foul. When it wasn’t called, Dončić became more worried about complaining to the official than getting back on defense. And Hornets announcer Eric Collins took note.
Eric Collins on Luka Doncic: “This guy is a whiner.”
Luka received a technical foul and the Hornets scored a corner 3 at the other end beforehand
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“Oh my goodness! This guy is a whiner,” Collins said of Dončić as he stood in front of the official with his hands out in befuddlement. “And the Hornets have a chance to make it hurt.”
Eric Collins told no lies. Luka Dončić whines a lot. But the blunt characterization sounds a little different coming from a broadcaster. Typically, play-by-play voices are more apt to mince words, but not Collins, which is part of why he’s so popular with fans.
“That is now 11 technical fouls on Luka Dončić. He’s got a reputation,” Collins continued. “Only Dillon Brooks of the Phoenix Suns with more technical than Dončić.”
Luka Dončić is already a bad defender, bad enough for Max Kellerman to suggest the Lakers should already be looking to trade him. That might be outlandish, but it’s not outlandish to say Dončić is a whiner.
The whining led to a defensive lapse, a technical foul and a four-point play for the Hornets, en route to what was ultimately an 18-point win over the Lakers, who have a losing record since Dec. 1.