Sophie Cunningham backs NBA rule change after Luka Doncic incident
· Yahoo Sports
NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen has a simple fix for one of the league’s most frustrating officiating quirks.
Luka Doncic got hit with a dose of instant karma just days after playing protector for an official. During the Lakers’ game in Sacramento, Doncic confronted a courtside fan and helped get him ejected after the spectator fired a hard pass toward female referee Chelisa Painter.
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Yet in the very next game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Doncic picked up a technical foul himself for throwing the ball toward a ref in frustration. A moment that immediately had fans and critics calling out the irony given his zero-tolerance stance only days earlier.
Sophie Cunningham agrees to NBA rule change
NBA trainer Drew Hanlen couldn’t help but laugh at the tables turning on Luka Doncic, joking about the star’s disbelief after getting teed up for tossing the ball at a ref.
Still, Hanlen used the moment to pitch a rule change, arguing technical fouls for arguing should be wiped if the officials blew the call, an idea Sophie Cunningham readily agreed with.
On the No Hesitation podcast, Drew Hanlen said: “Luka throws the ball at the ref and gets teed up and he’s like, “Wait, what?” He’s like, “How how am I getting a technical?” He’s like, “Oh my g***, are you kidding me?” So, that’s just the the table’s turning right there.”
“One of the biggest rule changes that should happen—and again, I’m not saying this one was—is if the ref blows a call and then you get a technical for arguing that call or doing something like that, I think the technical should not happen. Like, if they blew a call and you reacted to the bad call, I think that technical should be wiped.”
Sophie Cunningham responded: “I agree, I agree.”
It’s a fair point, though there’s an obvious gray area, as some reactions cross the line regardless of whether the whistle was right. You can’t let players throw balls at refs or lose their cool without consequences, meaning the league would still need clear guidelines on what qualifies to be wiped.
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