Remember the final preseason game with the Lakers’ Luka Doncic and the Kings, when fans were chipping off their nails in the fourth quarter, and one moment sparked a conversation about a topic that has been debated for years. During the third quarter, Doncic absorbed a bump on a drive that went uncalled, drawing reactions from the Lakers’ commentators.

“It was a bump. It was definitely contact,” one commentator noted, highlighting how certain plays go unnoticed depending on a player’s reputation in the league, before the discussion shifted from that single missed call to a broader view of how fouls are often influenced by a player’s standing . Even though it was preseason, the conversation is far from over, and as the regular season kicks off, referees continue to face scrutiny over si

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