“Luka is not signing that extension…” If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, chances are you’ve come across that punchline more than once. What started off as a funny reaction to a short postgame clip quickly spiraled into a bigger debate. And just when it seemed like fans might be reading too much into it, Shaquille O’Neal stepped in to add fuel to the fire.

Let’s rewind. Luka Doncic had just delivered a near triple-double masterclass, helping his team to a tough 94–85 win over the Lakers and evening out the series at 1–1. But after the buzzer, what grabbed everyone’s attention wasn’t the scoreboard—it was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it interaction between Doncic and Austin Reaves. As Luka approached for a celebratory dap, Reaves appeared not to notice and headed straight for LeBron James instead. Luka, hand still hanging, chuckled and gave himself a dap. Of course, the moment didn’t go unnoticed online and even caught the attention of the Inside the NBA crew.

Kenny Smith highlighted that Doncic had some of these missed daps in Dallas Mavericks, too. Shaquille O’Neal, however, believes the moment signified something deeper. “That tells me they don’t fear him in the locker room. That would never happen to me. I won’t play that.”

Quite a take considering fans had already been piling on. One wrote, “Luka is not signing that extension 💔,” through his social media handle, while another added, “This is like the 3rd or 4th clip we have of Luka being left hanging…”

So, nothing that Doncic has not been a part of in the Mavs. But Shaquille O’Neal didn’t let the moment go without establishing the fact that he carried a certain authority that Doncic seems to be missing as a superstar of the game. Or was it all because the Slovenian basketball star recently levelled up with O’Neal in a unique record?

Luka Doncic levels Shaquille O’Neal’s NBA playoffs record with the Lakers

The Lakers’ playoff opener didn’t exactly go to plan. After a surprising 117–95 loss to the Timberwolves, fans were already sounding alarms on social media. But Tuesday night brought a much-needed shift in energy. With the series on the line, the Lakers bounced back with a gritty 94–85 win, and it was Luka Doncic who showed up in full force.

Playing under the bright lights at Crypto.com Arena, Luka turned heads once again, dropping 31 points, grabbing 12 boards, and handing out 9 assists. He led the team in every major stat—talk about showing up when it matters. And if that wasn’t enough, his Game 1 performance wasn’t far behind, with 37 points and 8 rebounds already under his belt. This red-hot start puts Luka in rare company.

Only two other Lakers—George Mikan in 1949 [when he was with the Minneapolis Lakers] and Shaquille O’Neal in 1997—have scored 30+ in their first two playoff games for the franchise. With a record like that, it’s hard to imagine Luka Doncic not having a dominant presence in the locker room, despite Shaquille O’Neal’s jab on Inside the NBA.

So, while Shaq’s take added fuel to the social media firestorm ignited by a clumsy dap, the hardwood reality tells a different story. Luka’s playoff arrival in Los Angeles has been nothing short of legendary, statistically echoing the dominance of Lakers icons, including O’Neal himself. Whether a missed high-five truly signifies a lack of locker room respect remains debatable, but Doncic’s on-court command speaks volumes, potentially drowning out the noise of an awkward post-game moment. The real extension Lakers fans are focused on is the one Doncic is delivering on the scoreboard.