Tensions boiled over between Luka Doncic and Goga Bitadze during the Los Angeles Lakers matchup with the Orlando Magic, but the aftermath has quickly turned into a he-said, he-said situation.
The incident resulted in double technical fouls after an on-court exchange, with Doncic later claiming that Bitadze crossed a line by making comments about his family.
“…He said he would f— my whole family and at some point, this is a basketball court, and some point I can’t stand it. I gotta stand up for myself. But I know I gotta do better. My teammates, I know they have my back, so I let them down today, but hopefully it will get rescinded.”
However, Bitadze has strongly denied those accusations, offering a very different version of events.
“I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done,” Bitadze said in an interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “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. His family, I really, truly respect them.”
When asked to clarify what was exchanged, Bitadze said: “He said something about my mother, which, it’s really inappropriate. We don’t say that stuff during the game. … So I just said whatever he told me or [about] my mother [and] said it back.”
Bitadze added, “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.”
“He said something about my mother, which, it’s really inappropriate. We don’t say that stuff during the game. … So I just said whatever he told me or [about] my mother [and] said it back.”
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