Luka Doncic explains why he had to stand up for himself against Goga Bitadze: "I'm hoping it gets rescinded"
Luka Doncic getting heated during a basketball game is nothing out of the ordinary. It usually happens when someone makes a dirty play, or fans or players make the foolish mistake of talking trash to him.
However, when the Orlando Magic 's Goga Bitadze spoke in tonight's game, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar could not seem to let it pass. Based on Doncic's reaction, it looked like the Georgian big man crossed the line with his smack talk. He even appeared to speak with the ref about what was said.
After the Lakers' tough 105-104 victory, Doncic revealed during the post-game presser what Bitadze told him.
"He would f–ck my whole family," he said, revealing that it was said in Serbian. "At some point, I just can't stand that. I got to stand up for myself."
Bitadze denies Doncic's claim
The heated exchange occurred at the 1:19 mark of the third quarter, when Doncic was shooting free throws. After missing his first, he walked toward the basket when he heard Bitadze say something.
Doncic then drilled his second free throw. And as he ran back to the other end, he kept talking, mouthing some choice words to Bitadze.
The officials assessed them with double technicals, earning Doncic his 16th technical of the season. He now faces a one-game suspension, unless the league rescinds it. According to the pool report , the call was made because the two were making "unsportsmanlike comments directed toward one another."
However, in an interview with ESPN and The Orlando Sentinel, Bitadze denied the Slovenian's claim that he made a remark about his family, stressing that he has nothing but respect for them.
"I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done. I really respect everybody's family," he said via ESPN's David McMenamin. "Where I come from, it's really sacred and we really respect each other's family. I would never directly say that."
Bitadze also claimed that Doncic started the whole verbal altercation. Nevertheless, he wants to apologize to the superstar.
"He said something about my mother, which is really inappropriate. We don't say that stuff. ... So I just said whatever he told me about my mother and said it back. That was pretty much it," he said . "What [Doncic] came out and said, I don't think that's the truth. I know that's not the truth. I know what I said. ... I apologize if it crossed the line.
The Lakers will try to get the call rescinded
The Lakers won the game courtesy of a Luka Kennard 3-point dagger. Doncic finished with 33 points, four rebounds and eight assists. The team remains in the third spot in the Western Conference with a 46-25 record.
They will next face the East-leading Detroit Pistons, who will be without Cade Cunningham after he was diagnosed with a collapsed lung.
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the team has already appealed to the league to have the technical rescinded. The team will wait for the league's final decision, but Doncic and the Lakers are hoping for the best.
"I know I've got to do better. My teammates, I know they have my back, so I let them down today. But I'm hoping it gets rescinded," he said.
In the meantime, the Lakers will look to continue their late-season surge, eyeing a 10th straight win and finishing this six-game road trip strong.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
