Luka Doncic came to the defense of an NBA referee who was hit by a ball thrown by a fan. Who is Chelisa Painter?
The referee found herself at the center of a scene that went viral during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings.
Luka Doncic was involved in one of the most talked-about moments of the NBA day, although this time it was not because of his points or a spectacular play. The Los Angeles Lakers player stepped in after a spectator violently threw the ball toward a referee who was standing next to the court.
The protagonist of the episode is Chelisa Painter, an official who has just taken an important step in her professional career within the league. The incident was captured on video and generated a strong reaction from fans on social media.
What happened between Luka Doncic and the spectator?
The incident took place during the third quarter of the game between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings , played on Wednesday, November 4 at the Golden 1 Center. After the ball went out of bounds, a fan sitting courtside picked it up and threw it hard at Painter, who managed to deflect the impact with her hands.
Doncic watched what happened, pointed at the spectator, and asked for the intervention of security personnel. The man ended up being removed from his seat and escorted out of the arena. After the incident, the Slovenian also approached the referee to make sure she was okay , and she responded with a gesture of approval.
Chelisa Painter is a 34-year-old American referee from Chesapeake, Virginia. Her basketball career began long before reaching the NBA: she played at the college level for George Washington and Old Dominion, and later developed a professional career abroad, with experience in Italy, Ireland, and Luxembourg.
Her path as an official also includes seven years of experience in NCAA Division I college basketball and five seasons in the G League, where she officiated 215 games.
A significant promotion within the NBA
On October 14, 2026 , the NBA announced that Painter had been added as a full-time referee on the professional staff for the 2026-27 season, along with Nate Cearley and Brent Haskill. During the previous campaign, she had already officiated three regular-season games as a non-permanent official.
Her addition also brought the number of women who are part of the NBA's full-time referee staff. to nine. Thus, amid an episode that captured the attention of the sports world, Painter once again finds herself in the spotlight, this time because of an event that also highlighted her professional journey.
