Charles Barkley calls out Kyle Kuzma for reckless play that hurt Luka Doncic
Doncic got hurt in a game that was already over.
On November 12, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a hard-fought 123-112 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Luka Doncic, the NBA's leading scorer, contributed 32 points in 32 minutes and took to the court with the Lakers leading by 21 points in the fourth quarter. Doncic scored six points before being substituted with 4:25 remaining off the bench.
The reason for his exit? A reckless closeout from Kyle Kuzma that left Doncic injured. Kuzma's actions were unnecessary, putting Doncic in harm's way by invading his landing zone, forcing Doncic to kick out his leg, and ultimately causing Doncic to check out of the game altogether. According to ESPN, the incident left Doncic with an ankle injury.
Kuzma attempted the free throw following his foul on Doncic and then left the locker room. While Austin Reaves and Colin Sexton also sustained injuries during the game, coach JJ Redick did not address the incident post-game, stating that Doncic was "fine." Despite no upgrade to a flagrant foul by the officials, the play garnered criticism during the post-game show on "Inside the NBA."
Charles Barkley, in particular, vehemently criticized Kuzma's play, stating, "Not a good play right there. That's not cool man, not letting guys land." This marked the first time all season that Kuzma received significant criticism for his actions on the court, which has seen him start every game for the 1-11 Bucks and average a season-low 10.8 points per game.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
