Every sport, or league that you follow, there’s one thing that fans, across sports, geography, and language, cry in common: ‘The Referees are biased,’ and the NBA is no different. But the King himself has to come up to clear the NBA fear. Before that, LeBron James and conspiracy theories go hand in hand. After 22 years, we’re well aware of it. One of the most common ones is that referees favor the league’s top star. Is it true? Well, we can’t deny seeing LeBron complain to the refs in every Lakers game, but does that influence their calls? While the superstar’s critics would like to believe that, that’s far from the truth, he clarified.
James’ supposed flopping has long been the point of debate among the fans, and so has been his whistle. And now that is also a matter of discussion regarding Luka Doncic. The outrage in the Lakers’ nation during every game is evident on social media as Doncic gets pushed around without much protection from the refs. LeBron, the veteran, however, has been through that already, as he confirmed in the latest episode of the Pat McAfee Show.
During the ‘LeBronversation, ‘ McAfee compared Patrick Mahomes to LeBron, comparing how the Chiefs star gets most of the calls in his favor for being one of the greatest in the game. Encouraged by that, the 40-year-old explained his side of the narrative. “Because I am like literally over the last five, six years everybody’s been claiming I flop all the time. I’m in the bottom half of free-throw attempts per game,” LeBron said, implying he doesn’t get calls for getting fouls that’d have sent him to the free-throw line. He has only 4.4 free throw attempts per game this season on the occasions he suited up for the Lakers. To put that into context, the highest FTA in the league is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 10.4, followed by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 8.9.
“You know the funny thing is, I have a lot of teammates that be like, they come to the Lakers and they be like, man, when I used to play against you, I just think you got every goddamn call and I hate it,” the 4x NBA champion added. That’s probably hinting at Doncic. Even if not, the reaction from the other players remains constant, as LeBron described. “And now that I’m your teammate, it’s like, oh my goodness. You don’t get any calls. I’m like, ‘Hey. You know, don’t worry about it. Just keep playing.’”
Not only LeBron James, but Luka Doncic also faced the same issue with the Mavs, and that has continued even with the Lakers. For him to adjust physically and mentally has been a challenge and over the past month or so, LeBron has witnessed that intimately.
LeBron James confirms Luka Doncic’s shock following the trade
No one in their sane mind ever imagined a Luka Doncic trade. Even Rob Pelinka wasn’t sure if it was a joke when he faced the proposal of the colossal trade. The shock in the media was palpable and even after a month of the trade, seeing Doncic in purple and gold seems like a dreamy experience. The Slovenian in the spotlight also had a hard time coping with the fact, and LeBron has now detailed that feeling.
“I can’t put myself in his shoes because I’ve never been traded before,” LeBron told Pat McAfee. “But I can have a sense and be a human being to know you commit to a franchise for seven years, and you feel like this is the place where Imma be. This is my comfort.”
“Luka Doncic committed to a franchise for seven years and that was his comfort..
Out of nowhere you get traded and that’s a shock to your system..
I had to let him know that we’ll figure it out because we need him to be who he is” ~ @KingJames #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/kPEIag0MID
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 26, 2025
Comparing his comfort in Miami, James made a thoughtful connection to Doncic and revealed how he’d have felt in the same scenario. “I talk about my comfort before I went to Miami, and then out of nowhere, bam! You just get traded. I don’t give a damn where you’re going. It doesn’t matter who you’re pairing with. That’s a shock to your system,” James added.
But the recent showings are displaying signs of a change for the better. In the last five Lakers outings, Doncic has averaged 30.2 points. That takes his total to 27.2 points per game in the 18 games he played for the new franchise. And for the Lakers to reach the top, Doncic has to be that guy again, as LeBron confirmed during the show.
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