Goga Bitadze made the headlines following the Orlando Magic’s 105-104 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Kia Center on Saturday, but not for the right reasons. Lakers superstar Luka Doncic accused Bitadze of making disrespectful comments during the game, claiming the Magic big man said he would “f*** my whole family” in Serbian.
A whole lot of backlash came Bitadze’s way following those accusations, and he has now shared his side of the story.
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done,” Bitadze said, via Jason Beede. “And I really respect everybody’s family. 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 I understood what he said. So I just said it back.
“And it was nothing towards his family or anybody,” Bitadze stated. “His family, I really, truly respect them, and that’s pretty much it. I’m a fan of his game and don’t want to look like it was directed to his family, or anything. It was just in the heat of the moment. I heard what he said, and I felt like I had to respond the same way. So, from my side, if he feels like I said something too much or crossed the line, I apologize as a man.
“I can take [accountability], but I didn’t say anything but what he said,” Bitadze continued. “What he came out and said, I don’t think that’s the truth. I know that’s not the truth. So, I know what I said, and that was pretty much it in the heat of the moment. So like I said, some things were said, and I apologize if it crossed the line.”
Bitadze was also asked whether he could clarify what Doncic had said and what he had said in response.
“Well, he said something about my mother,” Bitadze said. “Which, it’s really inappropriate. We don’t say that stuff during the game. So, I don’t know if he knew that I understood his language or not. So I just said whatever he told me or [about] my mother [and] said it back. That was pretty much it.”
Bitadze is claiming that Doncic was the one who started it all, not him. Interestingly, this is the second time in March that an opponent has pointed the finger at him.
Doncic and Matas Buzelis engaged in trash talk during the Lakers’ 143-130 win over the Chicago Bulls on March 12. After the game, the six-time All-Star claimed he was surprised by Buzelis’ chirping, as he hadn’t said anything. The Bulls forward, though, claimed Doncic had said something to him first, so he felt the need to respond. It is kind of the same situation here.
Doncic was seen chirping with Bitadze when he was at the free-throw line in the third quarter. He appeared to tell official Sean Corbin that his family had been brought up.
Bitadze and Doncic then kept talking as they went down the court, which led to both of them getting technical fouls. The Slovenian is now facing a one-game suspension, as he has 16 technicals on the season.
Doncic, who had 33 points (12-30 FG), five rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and one block against the Magic, is hoping this latest one gets rescinded, based on the circumstances he presented. The Lakers have appealed the technical foul, and it will be interesting to see what comes out of that. If the decision is upheld, Doncic will miss Monday’s clash with the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
As for Bitadze, he isn’t at risk of suspension over the accumulation of technicals. The 26-year-old finished with nine points (3-3 FG), seven rebounds, and five assists in this loss to the Lakers that drops the Magic to 38-32 on the season. They’ll take on the Indiana Pacers next at the Kia Center on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
