Dallas Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic, known for his trash talking, found himself on the other side of the exchange as he prompted the ejection of a Phoenix Suns fan during a recent game.
During the third quarter, a Suns supporter heckled Doncic, shouting, “Luka, you’re tired! Get your ass on the treadmill!” as reported by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
The Mavs star, not one to ignore such comments, immediately pointed towards the fan, leading to the fan’s ejection minutes later.
The incident occurred amid a dominant performance by the Suns in the third quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 43-20.
Postgame, Doncic addressed MacMahon, who reported the fan’s comment. Doncic disputed MacMahon’s account, stating, “I saw what you said about the fan. That was not true at all. That was not the only thing he said.”
MacMahon defended his reporting, leading to a tense exchange with Doncic, who questioned the accuracy of the reported phrase and the journalist’s awareness during the entire first half.
“All right so it was the only thing that he said that time? The only thing? I was hearing the whole first half. You didn’t hear anything?” Doncic said.
Doncic revealed that the fan’s continuous cursing throughout the first half contributed to his decision to request the ejection, expressing frustration. “Because he was cursing me the whole first half too,” he explained.
While acknowledging fans’ right to voice opinions, Doncic emphasized reaching a breaking point, stating, “Because I would never ask for a fan to be ejected. They pay for tickets. But I had enough. It’s a little bit of frustration.”
The game, marked by tension, witnessed a lopsided score favoring the Suns (132-109) and a total of seven technical fouls.
Notably, this incident follows Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd’s earlier criticism of MacMahon, accusing him of negative reporting about the team.
