Lakers' Luka Doncic Calls Out NBA After Clippers Game

Nov 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) fouls Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic criticized the NBA over its special Emirates NBA Cup courts, claiming they cause players to slip more often than on the regular hardwood.

The NBA, since the start of their new in-season tournament, has done its best to make the games special and meaningful. In terms of presentation, the courts during these games are unique to each team, usually featuring a solid color associated with the team.

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After the Lakers' 135-118 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, Doncic criticized the grip of the courts and called for the league to look into changing these special courts to prevent dangerous slips that can lead to injuries.

“Adjust the courts, please. It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous," Doncic told reporters, including ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Doncic added that he felt a lack of grip during the pregame warm-ups, though he could not pinpoint whether it was the decal or the court's coloring causing the issue.

"I don't know, it was just, I slipped a lot of times, and you could see like a lot of players slip, and that's dangerous, man," he added.

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Although he didn't feel comfortable on the court, Doncic played incredibly well, scoring 43 points along with 13 assists and nine rebounds in another standout performance that’s gradually strengthening his MVP case.

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He continues to operate the Lakers' offense like a maestro, constantly drawing contact from defenders, while making ridiculous passes every game and taking advantage of any mismatch.

Clippers head coach Ty Lue highlighted how amazing Luka Doncic was on Tuesday and how he made it tough for his team to stop him.

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“We couldn’t get stops, whatever we tried to do with Luka – switch, fire, blitz – he just picked apart,” Lue said.

“Just a tough cover, [we were] just trying to mix it up, show him different looks. But he’s a great player. He took advantage of everything we tried to do tonight.”

Doncic is absolutely on track to rival Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the MVP award, and it looks like another scoring title may be in the Lakers' franchise player's future.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.