Luka Dončić is one of the biggest superstars in the NBA. He’s also one of the most, er, emotive.
Over the years, Dončić, who has picked up a whopping 15 technical fouls this season, has earned a notorious reputation for frequently complaining to the refs during games. Sunday’s 110-97 win over the Knicks was no exception, as the Lakers guard was seen making what appeared to be a money gesture after getting knocked to the floor while trying to draw a charge. Instead, he was called for a foul.
The NBA didn’t like it at all and issued him a $50,000 fine for the “inappropriate and unprofessional gesture toward a game official.”
Here’s a look at the very expensive gesture:
Did Luka Doncic just signal what I think he signaled with his hands? 😬 pic.twitter.com/FKGgJpj5kd
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) March 8, 2026
Maybe the NBA would have let this one slide... had he not been caught before. Back in 2023, when Dončić was still on the Mavericks, he made a similar money gesture to the refs with his fingers. Given how often Dončić lets out his frustration on the men in stripes, he’s likely guilty of doing the disrespectful gesture more than a couple documented times.
In light of Dončić’s accumulation of techs, several media pundits have criticized the Lakers star for his on-court antics.
“The whining is back to peak Dallas levels,” Zach Lowe said on his eponymous show. “It’s every f---ing play. Just play, man. Not everything is a foul... Are you playing to draw a foul, or are you playing basketball? Which one are you doing? Are you playing one-on-one with the refs? Or are you playing a game? It’s every single possession now. It’s completely out of control. It's back to Dallas levels. It’s unwatchable.”
As those who’ve followed Dončić’s career already know, this is nothing new. One more technical foul and Dončić will be suspended for one game, too. The Slovenian guard brought his All-Star scoring talents to L.A. as well as his characteristic grumbling and griping—this time, and likely the next time, it’ll cost him.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Dončić’s Petty Hand Gesture in Lakers Game Cost Him a Lot of Money.
