Luka Doncic is one of the most talented basketball players in the NBA right now. His skill level is beyond reproach.
That said, over the past year and change the 22-year-old has developed a reputation for petulance. Whether he is crying to referees or beefing with his teammates, Doncic’s strong attitude has been on display often this season.
The trend continued on Friday night, as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 104-97 in Game 6 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
At some point earlier in the outing, Doncic instructed his head coach, Rick Carlisle, not to call an unnecessary timeout.
Unfortunately for all parties involved, with roughly seven minutes to go in the fourth, Carlisle opted to call a timeout.
That’s when Doncic snapped.
View this post on Instagram
“I told you not to call a timeout when you don’t need it,” he could be seen emphatically snapping at Carlisle.
There are two sides to this argument. On one hand, Doncic is not your average 22-year-old. He has a ton of basketball experience, particularly at the pro level, and knows what he’s talking about more than most young players. That said – Carlisle is no slouch either. He’s a championship-winning head coach, and he deserves to be treated as such by his players.
That’s one way to watch a game. https://t.co/rlfZSR4DDe
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 13, 2021
Obviously there is a lot of pride and ego involved in this situation. Just a few days ago, Doncic savagely taunted Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. If his team were to now lose the series, it’d be a horrible look.
Game 7 between the Clippers and Mavericks is Sunday. Will Doncic ultimately advance to the second-round? We’re less than 24 hours away from finding out.
Related: 4 Teams Calling Blazers For Damian Lillard Trade
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
