Some highlights for those that are pay walled:
“[A]s Dončić has grown accustomed to how referees typically officiate him, so too has his belligerence when those whistles — from a third party he ultimately can’t control — don’t always come.
Look, Dončić is often right to feel aggrieved. He doesn’t always get called for contact because he’s so good at constantly creating it. …
He’s also far from the first player to create so much contact that officials simply can’t call it all. That this useful advantage has become something he expects, even deserves, is what has increasingly turned it into a detriment.
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Instead of having the chance to punish Canada in an attempted comeback, Dončić’s final few words pushed past the referee’s patience that Dončić had been testing all game. He flashed the money sign, not for the first time, as he left the court.
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No matter how talented Dončić is, no matter how much he can control on the court through his actions, he cannot blow the whistles. He cannot play defense when he’s too animated in a tirade on the court’s other end. And he cannot help his country when he’s not even allowed on the bench.
Dončić understands that his behavior is a problem. “It’s a lot of emotions,” he told reporters afterward. “A lot of times, I don’t control myself, which I’ve been having problems with.”
While understanding problems is the first step to fixing them, this quote sounds an awful lot like what he’s been saying for years.
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It might also be that Dončić’s on-court complaints have been tied, at times, to personal frustrations, particularly those involving his own subpar conditioning. But Dončić has reportedly spent this summer dedicated to maintaining peak basketball shape, and he still lost his cool, even as he represented his country in a must-win situation.
Dončić can control the court and its participants like he’s conducting it.
…
But there’s no doubt that for all of Dončić’s control, he must learn to control himself.
by ABoyIsNo1
8 Comments
We know.
I agree that he should start controlling his emotions, but the game against Kanda is really not the stick to beat him with. It was disgusting how much they were fouling him and no calls whatsoever. And they hit him a lot also in the NBA games without whistles, while you see some other players (like embiid), who get all the calls by just winking at them. I d be frustrated too
He has pretty substantial mental health challenges.
Another article that skips over mentioning about the refs telling his teammates they are not going to give calls to him. Sure Luka needs to control his emotions but he was justified in that Canada game.
Some cases he has every right to throw a fit and this was one of those cases. Why don’t you go tell the refs to be fair? Sure they’re humans and they’re not going to get it right 100% of the time but to not get it right at all is rigging games! The refs even told his teammates that they’re not getting any calls is bs. Luka had every right. Leaders fight for their team
I think it’s a weird loop now.. he is so good that everybody just beat the shit out of him every game.. and the complaining more and more because of not called fauls somehow went into the referee’s subconcious to fuck with him.. like it’s not fair but ure the best and u got to take it.. so weird.. Don’t forget how beaten he gets and what he went tru all these years.. how morris stepped on his ankle etc.. hate the complaining but I’m on Luka’s side, call the fuckin faul.. Luka then missing his freethrows is another thing lol:)
Himself and his team.
Wow. What an original take. I thought he should be encouraged to alienate refs and get suspended, for the good of the team.