A set of videos making the rounds online has reignited one of the NBA’s most uncomfortable debates: where does physical defense end and dirty play begin? And more specifically, has Lu Dort crossed that line too often?
Dort has built his reputation as one of the league’s premier perimeter stoppers. He earned All-Defensive First Team honors last season and continues to take on the toughest assignments nightly. This season, he is averaging 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while serving as Oklahoma City’s primary point of attack defender. His value to the Thunder is unquestioned.
The issue is not effort. It is a pattern.
The compilation spans multiple seasons and paints a troubling picture. One clip from this season shows Dort taking out Kevin Durant’s legs as Durant attempts to come off a screen. In the same game, he pushed Durant to the floor on another possession. Both were called fouls, but the visual was jarring. The plays did not look like routine physicality. They looked like borderline takedowns.
Another sequence from this season shows Victor Wembanyama already boxed out and covered by two defenders when Dort arrives late and shoves him to the floor. There was no call. The play felt unnecessary. When a player is already neutralized in possession, that extra push moves the action into dangerous territory.
Last season’s clips add further fuel. While guarding Kyrie Irving around a Daniel Gafford screen, Dort followed tightly and appeared to leave a hand low, striking Gafford in the groin. He was ejected for that play.
In another game against the Pelicans, he flopped while defending Brandon Ingram on a fadeaway. Ingram landed awkwardly on Dort’s fallen body and twisted his ankle. Whether intentional or not, the risk created by that type of fall is obvious.
The compilation also highlights multiple kick-out closeouts. On several three-point attempts, Dort’s leg extends into defenders closing out. It is subtle but repetitive.
Lu Dort really might be the dirtiest player in the league. These cannot all be a coincidence 👀pic.twitter.com/bU1rg4EQ2l
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) December 28, 2025
Against Minnesota, there are sequences of him diving at the ball, but also clearly targeting players’ legs in the scramble.
In the 2024 Western Conference semifinals, another low blow appears on tape.
In the 2025 NBA Finals, he shoved Tyrese Haliburton on one play with no call and got a steal. On another possession, he knocked Haliburton down on what looked like a marginal flop. In yet another clip, he landed from a jumper and struck Haliburton in the face with no whistle.
Older footage surfaces as well. A play against Cleveland four years ago shows him elbowing Kevin Love after the whistle while both chased a loose ball.
Another sequence shows Ja Morant’s season-ending playoff injury after Dort intercepted him midair on a fast break, resulting in a hard fall. It was ruled a common foul, but Morant missed time.
Most recently, Nikola Jokic confronted Dort after being tripped in a half-court situation. Jokic called it an unnecessary move that required a reaction. Dort was ejected with a flagrant 2.
None of these plays alone defines a player. Physical defenders often live in gray areas. The concern is cumulative. The frequency of leg tangles, low blows, post-whistle contact, and flops suggests more than coincidence.
Dort is a great defender. He competes and sacrifices his body. But when physicality consistently drifts into plays that risk injury, the narrative shifts. The league may not always punish it severely, yet the tape exists. And right now, that tape is shaping a reputation he may not want attached to his name.
