Lakers are finally learning a harsh Luka Doncic truth Mavericks always knew

Luka Doncic's constant arguing with referees was one of the biggest complaints about his game during his time with the Dallas Mavericks, and this has caught up to him in his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Doncic has led the Lakers to a 34-23 record, but he is getting much more criticism than praise lately.

Doncic is having an incredible season, averaging a league-high 32.5 points to go along with 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, but criticism is starting to mount. Lakers fans and media have turned on the Slovenian superstar, and one of the biggest talking points has been how he has to limit his emotional outbursts toward officials.

Mavericks fans know how aggravating Doncic's whining can get, as he would often get caught arguing with the referee about a no-call on the offensive end rather than hustling to get back on defense. This issue was magnified during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, as it was reported that Doncic's teammates were begging him to tone it down.

Luka Doncic's biggest flaw is catching up to him — again

Everyone in Dallas knew that he needed to be better in this area, and so did he. It was ultimately one of the reasons that Nico Harrison decided to trade him to the Lakers. While no reason is a good enough reason to swap Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, this has been something that has needed to change for years.

It's one of his clear flaws despite having a historic start to his young career, and while Mavericks fans learned to embrace it due to how much positivity he brings in other areas, the national media and Lakers fans have not.

Over the last week, seemingly every national podcast has been talking about Doncic's complaining. It has seemed like a smear tour, and Lakers fans, overall, have not given him the appreciation that he deserves.

Both Zach Lowe and Max Kellerman went on rampages on their podcasts about the six-time All-Star's whining to officials, but did it really take the media this long to find out that this never stopped after he left the Mavericks?

Kellerman went as far as to say that Doncic's statue one day is going to be him arguing with a referee, while Lowe called his antics "unwatchable." The Lakers should've known that this is his Achilles heel before ever trading for him, but it seems like they are just now realizing that he has to get better in this department.

The Mavericks and their fans always knew that Doncic needed to fix this part about himself, as he was always near the top of the league in technical fouls, and unfortunately for him, he hasn't. It's not that he doesn't deserve to be criticized, but it shouldn't have taken this long for the Lakers and their fans to see that this is one of the worst parts about his game.

They're finally realizing that he may never change, despite pleas that he would get better about it, and they're going to be forced to live with it. Even the best players have their flaws, and while Doncic's jersey changed, some of his bad habits did not.