Luka Doncic Reveals Goga Bitadze’s Below-The-Belt Insults During Magic Vs Lakers Game

Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic received his 16th technical foul of the season in the game against the Orlando Magic.

Luka Doncic Reveals Goga Bitadze’s Below-The-Belt Insults During Magic Vs Lakers Game

Luka Doncic is known to constantly ask officials for fouls (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Luka Doncic accused Goga Bitadze of making personal insults about his family during a game.
  • Doncic received his 16th technical foul and will be suspended for the next match against the Pistons.
  • Goga Bitadze denied the allegations, claiming he respects Doncic and his family.

While things have been smooth sailing for Luka Doncic on the court over the last few weeks, things have not looked good off the court. Doncic broke off his relationship with longtime partner Anamaria Goltes, who he shares two daughters with. The two are now involved in a messy battle in the court.

The Los Angeles Lakers led by Doncic are getting stronger and stronger with every passing game. They were tested to the absolute limit on Saturday night but registered a closely fought 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center. However, Doncic was involved in a verbal tussle with Magic center Goga Bitadze, which resulted in the official handing out technical fouls on both players.

In his post-match press conference, Doncic revealed that Bitadze made a very personal comment about his family and he could not let it go.

He (Goga Bitadze) said he would (expletive) my whole family. This is basketball court. At some point, I just can’t stand that. I got to stand up for myself.

Luka Doncic via his post-game press conference

It is understandable for Luka Doncic to lose his cool after Goga Bitadze’s nasty comments targeting the Slovenian’s family. The Slovenian and his ex-girlfriend, Anamaria Goltes, are locked in an ugly child support battle over his two daughters.

Unfortunately, the heated interaction led to the 27-year-old’s 16th technical foul of the season. As such, the Slovenian star will be suspended for the next match against the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

The win over the Magic extended the Lakers’ winning streak to nine games, which is their longest win-streak this season. Their record improved to 46-25 as they sit at third place in the Western Conference standings and are 2.5 games ahead of fourth seeds, Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, the Magic have now lost four games in a row and have dropped to eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

It is well known that Doncic loves some trash talk and never shies away from a battle on the court. However, his emotions got the better of him with Bitadze. The Lakers will be hoping that Doncic’s latest technical foul gets rescinded by the NBA.

Goga Bitadze denies Luka Doncic’s claims

Trash talking is normal in the NBA. But there are times when players get carried away in the moment and cross the line. One such line is when remarks are passed about a player’s family. A heated reaction is expected in such situations. However, Goga Bitadze denied making such comments.

Luka Doncic and Goga Bitadze
Luka Doncic and Goga Bitadze (Image credits – Robert Littal BSO/X)

When asked about the altercation between the two, Bitadze claimed he never made such comments during his press conference.

I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done. I really respect everybody’s family. Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s family. I would never directly say that.

Goga Bitadze said after the game

The two players have different stories to tell. Bitadze even went on to claim that it was Doncic who made some inappropriate comments in Serbian. It remains to be seen what decision the league decides to take.

Robert Horry calls out Luka Doncic for reacting to the incident

Former seven-time champion Robert Horry was not impressed by Luka Doncic’s actions on the court on Saturday night. With a one-match suspension on the horizon, Horry felt that that Lakers guard put his team at risk.

In the post-game coverage of the Spectrum SportsNet, Robert Horry stated that Doncic should have never been bothered by Bitadze’s offensive remarks.

I hope it gets rescinded, and I hope Luka understands that it hits home for him. I can’t put myself in that position. You can say whatever you want about my family, my daughter, whatever it is. You gotta understand those are just words. Words aren’t going to bother you, but getting that L on him is going to bother him more than those words.

Robert Horry on Spectrum SportsNet

With his ongoing highly publicized legal battle, the last thing Doncic would have needed is for it to carry onto the court. The Lakers have already appealed to the NBA about Doncic’s 16th technical foul. They will hope for Doncic to be at his best as the season progresses to the playoffs.

Also Read: