Goga Bitadze Responds to Luka Doncic’s Claim That He Threatened His Family
A fiery verbal confrontation between Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic and Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze during Saturday’s game led to dual technical fouls, a rescinded suspension and competing accounts of what was actually said on the court.
The dust-up ultimately resolved in the players’ favor on Sunday, when the NBA rescinded both technical fouls following an appeal by both teams, per ESPN.
Doncic will be available to play in Monday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, but the exchange — and the sharply different stories from each side — has drawn widespread attention.
How the Altercation Unfolded
The incident took place during the third quarter of the Lakers vs. Magic game in Orlando. Doncic was driving to the rim when Bitadze was called for a reaching foul — his fourth of the game — per video shared by the NBA on YouTube.
As Doncic stood at the free throw line, the two players began chirping at one another. After the first free throw, Doncic walked over and spoke to referee Sean Corbin.
The verbal altercation continued as both players ran down the court following the free throw.
In a pool report after the game, Crew Chief Mark Davis said both players were issued technical fouls “for their continual taunting of one another.”
Davis added that they “were both warned to cease their comments” before continuing their spat down the court.
Both Doncic and Bitadze were issued technical fouls. For Doncic, it was his 16th technical foul of the season — a significant number. According to the NBA rulebook, 16 technical fouls in a single season results in a one-game suspension.
Luka Doncic Says Goga Bitadze Crossed a Line
In a post-game press conference, Doncic said the exchange went beyond typical on-court trash talk and involved explicit remarks about his family.
“I let my team down, but honestly I wasn’t trying to,” he said.
“He said at the free-throw (line) he would f— my whole family and at some point, I just can’t stand it and I’ve got to stand up for myself,” he continued. “I know my teammates have my back. I let them down today, but hopefully it’ll get rescinded.”
Lakers head coach J.J. Redick also commented on the exchange after the game, suggesting the language barrier played a role in how officials handled the situation.
“I’m not sure what happened,” he said. “I do know that there were certain things said in a language that the referees couldn’t understand in reference to Luka’s mom.”
Bitadze Tells a Different Story
Bitadze offered a starkly different version of events in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, placing the blame squarely on Doncic.
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done. And I really respect everybody’s family,” Bitadze said. “Where I come from, it’s really sacred and we really respect each other’s families and I would never directly say that.”
“He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia. I understand, I don’t know if he knew | understood what he said. So I just said it back. And it was nothing towards his family or anybody. His family, I really, truly respect them and that’s pretty much it,” he added.
Doncic is a Slovenian player who also speaks Serbian. Bitadze is from Georgia, but spent time playing in Serbia before heading to the NBA.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
