After saying that tensions between NBA referees are “ruining the game,” and that things have gotten “personal,” Draymond Green was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Monday for “public criticism of officiating.”
Oof! NBA announces it has fined Draymond $25k for his comments about the refs in an article with The Athletic after the Clippers game two nights ago in LA. #Warriors pic.twitter.com/0rwmompy6L
— LetsGoWarriors??? (@LetsGoWarriors) January 8, 2018
Green’s comments were published in The Athletic following Saturday’s game in which Green was assessed his 11th technical foul of the season, the most by any player in the NBA. In addition to his comments above, Green also threw out a radical solution: replace all the current referees with new ones.
Via The Athletic:
“It’s bad,” Green told The Athletic. “It’s horrible. It’s really bad. I don’t know why it is. But I think it’s ridiculous. It’s ruining the game. … It should be one of, if not the main priority, to be solved. It definitely should.”
Green has grown so frustrated with the situation that, when asked for a possible solution, he threw out a radical idea.
“They can get a new crop (of referees), a whole new crop,” Green said. “Too many personal things going on. Too much me against you. It just don’t work that way.”
The idea that things have become so untenable that the league should replace its entire officiating crew seems radical, but Green truly believes that certain players, him in particular, are being singled out. The recent evidence would seem to imply, at least in Green’s case, there is some truth to this.
Last Saturday against the Grizzlies, Green was kicked out in the first quarter after receiving two quick technical fouls that could only be described as soft. He was given the first for arguing too passionately that a foul called on him should not have been a shooting foul. Shortly after, he was tossed for making a seemingly innocuous gesture to the same official when he was called for another foul. You be the judge.
The Draymond ejection via @NBCSWarriors — a wave, a heave and a quiet walk-off pic.twitter.com/t7x5MBHp2N
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 31, 2017
Against the Clippers, Green pointed to another incident he felt was personal, when he was called for a lane violation by referee John Goble, after earlier in the game he had barked at Goble for not calling an obvious violation on DeAndre Jordan. Green was also given a technical foul in the first quarter for arguing.
“A lot of it is personal,” Green said.