NBA fans are passionate. Most players know this. They understand that those same fans will try different ways to rile them up or get them off their game on any given day. But one fan went too far with Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks star had the fan ejected.
Fans will do just about anything to help their team win a game. That includes wearing shirts, holding signs, and good old-fashioned heckling. We’ve seen it before with players like Russell Westbrook.
Now, we’re seeing it with Luka Doncic. During a Wednesday night matchup against the Phoenix Suns, a fan got so rowdy that Doncic had the fan escorted out of the building by security.
"LUKA YOU TIRED, GET ON THE TREADMILL!"
Luka Doncic reaction to fan incoming.
Luka Doncic has since pointed out the fan, who is being talked to by arena staff.
Kyrie Irving walked over and was looking at the fan, who just left.#Suns 100 #Mavs 78 after 3. pic.twitter.com/6npgrJhj6J
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) January 25, 2024
Luka Doncic asked security to eject this Suns fan, who was sitting two rows behind midcourt press row. The comment the fan made that drew Doncic’s wrath: “Luka, you’re tired! Get your ass on the treadmill!” pic.twitter.com/chNYwiJBC0
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 25, 2024
After the game, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon asked Luka about the exchange, and things got very tense and awkward in a hurry.
Luka Doncic postgame on the fan and the ejection…and says there was more to it.
“He was cursing me the whole first half. I would never eject a fan. They pay for tickets. But I had enough.” #Mavs #MFFL #luka pic.twitter.com/PIWfh1gzCB
— Dorothy J. Gentry (@DorothyJGentry) January 25, 2024
Luka Dončić and Tim MacMahon go back and forth about him tweeting about Luka asking for a fan to be ejected in the second half, after cursing at him the whole game.
Luka: “You’ll be the first one to always put something bad about me.” pic.twitter.com/eAIRbKyVkn
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) January 25, 2024