The NBA issued a $25,000 fine to Clippers guard, Chris Paul, in lieu of his remarks about the officiating during the Clippers loss to the Cavs.
There were five technical fouls called on the Clippers, one on Chris Paul and he did not agree with the call.
According to ESPN, following the Clippers loss Chris Paul said during a press conference, “The tech that I get right there was ridiculous. I don’t care what nobody says, I don’t care what she says; that’s terrible. There’s no way that can be a tech. We try to get the ball out fast every time down the court, and when we did that, she said, ‘Uh-uh.’ I said, ‘Why, uh-uh?’ And she gave me a tech. That’s ridiculous. If that’s the case, this might not be for her.” Paul’s statement that “this might not be for her,” sparked up controversy on whether Paul was just addressing the game control issues of the officials or if he was being disrespectful of the gender of rookie official, Lauren Holtkamp.
The NBA’s $25,000 fine, which is the base fine for any negative remarks made about officiating from a player or coach, suggests that the NBA didn’t see Paul’s comments as disrespectful toward Holtkamp’s gender.
The NBA Players Association executive director, Michele Roberts, came to the defense of Chris Paul in a press conference on Friday according to ESPN.com.
“Any suggestion that Chris Paul would ever conduct himself in a disrespectful manner towards women is utterly ridiculous, outrageous and patently false,” Roberts said. “His personal management team, which includes several accomplished women who play a major role in virtually all of his business affairs is, alone, evidence of that fact. … Without hesitation, the Players Association stands firmly behind Chris, whose competitiveness may only be exceeded by the strength of his values and his convictions.”
