Dončić says he was trash talking fan rather than ref before ejection in Lakers loss

Luka Dončić didn’t wait for his much-anticipated return to Dallas to crank up the drama.

The night before he faces the franchise with which he spent his first six-and-a-half NBA seasons, he was ejected from the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-120 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Dončić scored 23 points on Tuesday night before his ejection. He said he was talking trash back and forth with a fan, but the officials thought he was directing abuse at a referee and he was ejected after picking up a second technical foul.

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“If [the fan is] going to talk, I’m going to talk back, like always,” said Dončić. “That had nothing to do with the ref. So I didn’t really understand.”

The crew chief, Tony Brothers, said Dončić had “looked directly at an official and used vulgar language.”

The fan in question, Jeremy Price, told ESPN he believed Dončić was shouting at him rather than a referee. “During the game within the game, I mentioned that he was short [on his shot] and he missed it, and he turned around and he shot an expletive back and [the referee] happened to see it and, at that point, T’d him up,” Price said.

The ejection affected the trajectory of the game. The Thunder outscored the Lakers 29-12 the rest of the way.

“I mean, it was tough,” Dončić said. “I mean, we were right there. I think we fought the whole game. … We came back in the third quarter. We were fighting, man. So it was tough to see that with this kind of situation to happen. And you know, that’s on me too, so I can’t let my team down like that.”

Now, Dončić can focus on the Mavericks – the team he led to the NBA finals just last season after winning the scoring title. The five-time All-Star was among those who were shocked when he was traded for Anthony Davis in February.

Though Dončić says he has bonded with his new teammates, he looks forward to being back in Dallas.

“Of course that’s going to be a lot of emotion for me,” he said. “Like, how do we know what to expect? I don’t know how I’m going to feel, honestly. I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas. Obviously, with the fans, seeing my teammates – ex-teammates – it’s going to be a very emotional for me, for sure.”

Dončić is averaging 27.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 26 games with the Lakers. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd is well aware of the damage the versatile guard can inflict.

“He’s playing incredible, but that’s Luka,” Kidd said. “Luka’s one of the best players in the world. You’ve got to be able to show different defenses, and that’s even hard. When you look at what he’s doing – he’s shooting the 3, he’s getting to the rim and to the free-throw line and he’s setting the table for his teammates. Our defense will be tested.”

LeBron James, who has had a few returns throughout his career, said he expects Dončić to be received warmly.

“I think he’ll get a standing ovation and they’ll clap and cheer,” James said. “You’ll hear his name a lot. That’s what I’m expecting.”

James said the team is prepared to help Dončić work through the unusual circumstances.

“Whatever he needs,” James said. “I think winning will be the best solution.”