While the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 111-89 loss to the Boston Celtics was undoubtedly a result of a performance mishap, several noted the poor officiating. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves also addressing this after the game, it was apparent that there were concerns on the Lakers’ end.
Still, it is not irregular for Luka Doncic to call out officiating issues. In some ways, Doncic has even been criticized for doing it too often during games. Among the several sources that have called Doncic out for his habit of complaining, Max Kellerman seemed particularly heated while addressing his actions on the “Game Over” podcast recently.
“The point is, that is not okay,” Kellerman stated. “And you know how [Pat] Riley has his statue? You know what Luka Doncic’s statue, if he ever gets one, outside of Crypto now is going to be? It’s going to be like this. This is the Luka statue. With his arms out, like this.”
“Every single trip down the floor, you’re complaining to the refs?” Kellerman continued. “Luka. Every trip down the floor? Even when he hits the shot? No, you’re not going to get the and-1. It can’t be that the refs blow every call on Luka Doncic.”
Max Kellerman RIPS Luka Doncic for always crying to the refs 😬
“Luka statue is going to be him complaining to the refs. Every trip down the floor you are complaining to the refs. Every trip down the floor? Even when he hits the shot. No you are not going to get the and 1, it… pic.twitter.com/zEEMtkiLTs
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) February 23, 2026
Although Rich Paul attempted to restrain Max Kellerman, it was abundantly clear that the podcast host needed to vent. In some ways, however, Kellerman may have had good reason to do so.
Doncic’s complaining after a potential missed call has proven detrimental on more occasions than one, often resulting in delayed effort on transition defense and disruptions on offensive possessions. With the Lakers eventually suffering because of it, Kellerman’s statement seems to encapsulate the frustrations of the fanbase.
The Lakers Will Need Luka Doncic To Be Better
For clarity, the implication of “better” in this context has nothing to do with Luka Doncic’s statistical contributions. Doncic arguably remains one of the best players in the league in terms of individual performance.
For the 2025-26 season, Luka Doncic is averaging a league-high 32.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game while shooting 47.1% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. As an elite player with a versatile offensive skill set, Doncic continues to dazzle audiences with his tremendous displays on the floor.
While this has undoubtedly been crucial for the Lakers, what the Purple and Gold need Doncic to be better at is his on-court leadership.
Doncic says all the right things and checks all the boxes as a leader when communicating during post-game press conferences. But his body language on certain plays and his inconsistent effort coming into the second half tend to set a bad precedent.
At 26, Doncic is still settling into the role of a leader, but considering that he plays for the Lakers, the standard will always be high. As the spotlight shines brighter on him than virtually any other player in the league, the Purple and Gold will hope to see their superstar overcome these challenges along the way.
