Jaxson Hayes has joined the growing list of people taking shots at Luka Dončić, calling out his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate during a matchup between the Lakers and Utah Jazz on Sunday.

The exchange quickly caught the attention of NBA fans, with some questioning Dončić’s reputation around the league while others pointed to his dominant performance as the perfect response.

NBA Fans Dig Into Luka Dončić After Jaxson Hayes’ ‘Flopper’ Jab

Dončić and the Lakers faced Utah for the first time this season, reuniting the Slovenian star with a familiar face. Hayes, who spent three years in Los Angeles, signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Jazz over the summer.

He also shared the locker room with Dončić for a season and a half, making the exchange between the former teammates particularly interesting.

During a stoppage in play, the 7-foot center appeared to mouth the word “flopper” toward Dončić. Although the broadcast did not pick up his voice, the moment was clear enough to catch fans’ attention.

Dončić later appeared to point toward Hayes after making a 3-pointer. The two were also seen exchanging a few words near the sideline.

NBA fans wasted little time weighing in.

One fan bluntly declared, “Nobody in the league respects Luka.”

Hayes also became a naturalized Slovenian citizen after receiving a Slovenian passport in June 2026. NBA Memes joked about the center’s ties to Slovenia, writing, “Jaxson Hayes’ Slovenia visa just got revoked.”

The incident revived a familiar debate surrounding Dončić’s playing style. The six-time NBA All-Star has long used his ball-handling skills and ability to draw contact to get to the free-throw line. He led the NBA in free-throw attempts last season, averaging 10.1 per game.

However, his knack for getting to the charity stripe has also made him a frequent target of criticism from opponents. Earlier in the season, rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg openly criticized Dončić’s foul-baiting after the Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors in their season opener.

One NBA observer suggested Lendeborg’s earlier criticism had opened the floodgates, posting, “Yaxel sent the whole league after him.”

Others believed Hayes had been waiting for the opportunity to speak his mind. An X user suggested, “You can tell he been waiting to say that man nobody respects his game not even his former teammates.”

Another echoed that sentiment, writing, “He been waiting to say that for years. That’s like 8 players this year who have called Luka out on and off court.”

The criticism continued, with one NBA fan exclaiming, “Not a single one of his peers respect him.”

Another fan dismissed Dončić as an “overrated shot chucker.”

Nevertheless, some fans of the Slovenian sensation pushed back by pointing to the scoreboard and Dončić’s scoring outburst.

One Dončić supporter highlighted his stat line, writing, “Dude scored 52 points with only 11 FTA.”

Another supporter offered a more direct response to the exchange: “He had 50 lol who cares bout Jaxson Hayes respect.”

Dončić, indeed, had little trouble letting his performance do the talking.

The Lakers defeated the Jazz 132-123, with the star guard exploding for 52 points on 17-of-30 shooting, including eight 3-pointers on 18 attempts. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 10 assists while going 10-of-11 from the free-throw line.

With LeBron James gone in free agency, Dončić has taken the lead for the Lakers, who have won all three of their games so far this season.