Section V of Fouls and Penalties Rules states: “A maximum of two technical fouls for unsportsmanlike acts may be assessed any player, coach, trainer, or other team bench person. Any of these offenders may be ejected for committing only one unsportsmanlike act, and they must be ejected for committing two unsportsmanlike acts.” The rule further mentions, “A technical foul shall be assessed for unsportsmanlike tactics such as: Disrespectfully addressing an official and use of profanity.”

However, the NBA’s rulebook does not mention anything on talking to fans or personal vendetta. So, guess what, it just wasn’t Luka Doncic’s day. He came across referee J.T. Orr, not once, but twice. And the second instance was purely a case of misidentification, as many are putting it. But a call that can send LA Lakers superstar out of the game…?! It starts with what happened to Luka’s growing technical foul list in the fourth quarter of a hard-fought 136-120 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With 7:43 on the game clock in the fourth quarter and OKC leading with a point, Luka scored on a contested layup to bring LA back in the lead of 108-107. And by 7:40, he was walking off the court. If you are wondering what happened in just 3 seconds, well, a whistle from Orr happened.

As Doncic was transitioning into his defensive position, he started yelling at an OKC fan in the front row. His only mistake? He made an eye contact with the referee while yelling out profanity words, even if they were meant for the fan. Next thing we all know, a whistle came towards the No. 77 for a second technical for the night. That’s an automatic ejection. But let’s look at everyone’s perspective here.

The fan’s view: ESPN’s Dave McMenamin pointed out later that the Thunder fan is Jeremy Price “Who called himself “a.k.a. The Courtside Tattoo Dude.” When Dave asked Price about his thoughts on the second technical, he said, “During the game within the game, I mentioned that he was short and he missed it and he turned around and he shot an explicative [sic] back and J.T. [Orr] happened to see it and that point, T’d him up.”

According to Jason Gallagher, the fan and Luka are known for their playful banter every time the No. 77 is in Oklahoma. In fact, Pierce even agreed to McMenamin that although their banter is limited to the court only, he has been onto Luka since his Dallas Mavericks days.

Doncic’s thoughts: He was also quite clear in the postgame presser as to what was going on. He told the reporters, “I’ve never got a fan ejected. Never. But if he’s going to talk, I’m gonna talk back like always. That had nothing to do with the ref, so I really didn’t understand.”

Sure, the second T, as per many, did not have any connection to Orr. However, let’s go back to the first Technical for Luka which was also called by J.T. In the third quarter of the game with 4:02 left. And that was on Luka. 

Crew chief Tony Brothers’ conclusion: According to his pool report, the first one was because, “He directed profanity at a game official.” Alright, this one checks out per the rulebook. But the second? The one not directed at Orr?

Cliff Brunt of Associated Press Observer asked Brothers, “Why was Luka Doncic assessed his second technical foul by Orr? Was it the official’s judgement that he was speaking to him or to a fan?” To this, Tony simply replied, “He looked directly at an official and used vulgar language.” But again, even Pierce said that it wasn’t directed towards Orr.

Jarred Vanderbilt’s revelations: He came in with the bombshell: Orr told the team after giving Doncic his first T that he would “Talk to anybody but you, Luka.” Vanderbilt didn’t sugarcoat it either, saying flat out that the technical calls felt “personal.”

LeBron too backed Luka, “It was a weird couple of minutes after that, starting with the ejection. I don’t know why the ref was taking it personal. He had already given Luka one [technical] and Luka knew that. Luka was going back and forth at that time with a fan sitting courtside. … The ref took it upon himself to think that it was vs. him, whatever the case may be.”

Of course, a player at Luka’s caliber understands

All this brings back the words of NBA analyst Nick Wright from before. “That is Luka, and if he goes beyond, they should T him up. And if he goes beyond again, you throw him out. Part of being professional goes both ways. The refs can’t be like… ‘You’re irritating me, so I’m literally not going to do what I’m paid to do.’”

After Luka left the hardwood, the Lakers went on a slump. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made the technical free throw to tie the game at 108-108. And he was back on the charity line after Jarred Vanderbilt also picked a technical just after 13 seconds. While Austin Reaves’ couple of threes helped the Lakers, their hopes to catch the third rank were lost. The Thunder ended the game with a 29-12 run. 

By the numbers, Luka’s now at 14 techs for the season—just two away from a suspension. The Lakers might now send the play for a review to ensure if the call was worthy. But more than that, it’s the vibe that’s got fans fuming. The Lakers were right there, competing, and then poof—game over because of an emotional whistle.

Luka fans react—and they want J.T. Orr OUT

“JT Orr should never officiate another NBA game.” That comment pretty much speaks for every Lakers fan right now. And while J.T. Orr isn’t some rookie—he’s been officiating NBA games since 2011 and has even officiated in the playoffs—this game might be what people remember him for now. Being playoff-certified means the league used to trust him. But this mess? It’s got people calling for his head.

Another follower added, “These dudes have to have some kind of accountability. Pettiness like that can’t be accepted from NBA officials.” It’s not like this is the first time the NBA’s seen personal feuds bleed into whistle-blowing: In 1995, Jake O’Donnell tossed Clyde Drexler from a playoff game and was benched for the rest of the postseason. In 1991, Steve Javie booted Pervis Ellison, the coach, and the team mascot (seriously?), leading the league to step in with discipline.

The point? The NBA has acted before when refs got in their feelings. Will they do it again now?

“Oh now y’all wanna report on it. LUKA BEEN TREATED LIKE THIS HIS WHOLE CAREER.” This isn’t some random, isolated incident either. Luka’s had a long and rocky history with refs: In 2019, he got ejected for punting the ball into the stands. In 2020, he was fined $15K for throwing the ball at a ref’s legs. In 2022, both he and coach Jason Kidd got tossed for arguing during a game. Report the individual experience or the particular call, if Luka wants to keep his technical foul count low, he and the Lakers just might go ahead with this step.

Say what you will about him, but Luka’s not fake. He plays with heart—and sometimes, that gets him burned. That’s what the other fan pointed out, “They b—- about lack of passion for the All-Star Game, and yet when players show real passion in the heat of a meaningful, hotly contested game… boom! Can’t have that, outta here!”

The hypocrisy is loud. The league wants fire and passion when it’s convenient—like when they’re getting cooked on social media for a boring All-Star Game. But when players like Luka show that same fire in a game that actually matters, they get tossed for it? Nah, can’t have it both ways.

Luka Doncic getting tossed should’ve never happened. And when a teammate says the ref had already sworn off talking to him? That’s not game management—that’s a grudge. The Lakers lost a winnable game, fans lost their minds, and now J.T. Orr might just lose his reputation.

NBA, over to you. Because this one’s way too obvious to ignore.