Austin Reaves Confronts Disrespectful OKC Fan after Luka Doncic’s Injury

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have built quite the relationship during their time on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Austin Reaves Confronts Disrespectful OKC Fan after Luka Doncic’s Injury

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Austin Reaves confronted an Oklahoma City fan who mocked Luka Doncic's injury during a game.
  • Luka Doncic is out indefinitely due to a left hamstring injury and will miss the remainder of the regular season.
  • Doncic may still be eligible for MVP consideration by filing an extraordinary circumstances grievance related to a previous absence.

Luka Doncic was leading the Los Angeles Lakers back into possibly being championship contention after their 14 wins out of 15 games made many rethink their original view about this team.

There was a sense that this team was not as bad as they originally thought, and if coached well, could do quite a few things well. Some even went on to label them as championship contenders.

However, some were wary about how the men in purple and gold would fare against the best teams in the league. When it was time to face the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, those skeptics knew they would get a better idea about the Lakers.

So they did, after the home team obliterated the 17-time NBA championship-winning franchise badly enough that it felt as if the Thunder were playing against a ‘fake’ contender.

It seems their fans also felt the same. When Luka Doncic went down, grabbing his hamstring in the third quarter, that was pretty much what some courtside fans used to poke fun at the Slovenian.

OKC Fan: Oh, yeah, he’s real hurt.
Austin Reaves: Shut up.
OKC Fan: What are you going to do?
Austin Reaves: Have some respect.
OKC fan: What are you going to do? He’s not even hurt. He’s not even hurt.

Back-and-forth between an OKC fan and Austin Reaves

This was Austin Reaves‘ interaction with an OKC fan who started heckling Luka Doncic. It is clear that the undrafted guard did not appreciate the language and replied.

The two are very close, which explains why Reaves decided to stand up for his friend in front of disrespectful Oklahoma City Thunder fans.

Luka Doncic to miss the rest of the regular season

Oklahoma City Thunder fans, and even some members of the media, probably felt that Luka Doncic was probably faking an injury after struggling in their blowout loss. However, it turns out it was true.

Luka Doncic grabbing his hamstring
Luka Doncic grabbing his hamstring (Image via Bobbyr 75/X)

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is out indefinitely due to a left hamstring injury, sources tell me and Dave McMenamin. He will miss the remainder of the regular season, and his status is uncertain beyond that.

Shams Charania revealed on X

This confirmation seemingly stopped those unwarranted claims. But at the same time, it changes the narrative around the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now, with Luka Doncic out indefinitely, he will certainly miss the rest of the regular season, and with doubts over his availability in the playoffs, the men in purple and gold might as well start planning for an early vacation.

Last postseason, Stephen Curry could not play due to a similar injury, and there is a fear that the 27-year-old might also face the same fate when the playoffs come around.

Luka Doncic could avoid NBA’s 65-game rule exclusion

By missing the final five games of the regular season, Luka Doncic will miss out on end-of-season awards, as he will not play enough games according to the NBA’s 65-game rule.

There is one way where he could potentially be eligible, and that is by filing an extraordinary circumstances grievance on the fact that he missed two games back in December for the birth of his child.

Tim Bontemps said on SportsCenter

The ESPN reporter confirmed that there is still a way the Lakers’ guard can build on the five All-NBA First-Team awards he has to his name. However, it will be up to an arbitrator to decide.

Even though the NBA and voters might not have the former Real Madrid starlet as a favorite to win the MVP award, going to the arbitrator to get some accolades for his body of work this season could be worth the effort.

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