“It’s bad... It’s horrible,” Draymond Green said of his personal beefs with referees after a game where he picked up his 11th technical already this season.”It’s really bad. I don’t know why it is. But I think it’s ridiculous.It’s ruining the game... They can get a new crop (of referees), a whole new crop. Too many personal things going on. Too much me against you. It just don’t work that way.”
Draymond Green knew the moment those words came out of his mouth he would get fined by the league — you can’t rip the officials in public like that.
Monday afternoon it came down — the league announced $25,000 fine for “public criticism of the officiating.”
Whether you think Green is right or not is moot — this is the standing fine for criticizing the officials, whether it comes from coaches, players or anyone else tied to a team. Green crossed the line and knew it when he did it, he was trying to make a point going forward.
Tension seem higher than they have been in decades between NBA players and referees, which is why representatives of both sides are expected to sit down soon and discuss what is causing the rising tensions and what can be done about them. NBA players are frustrated both with the calls (something that will never change) and the reaction of referees when the players want to talk to an official about a call. They say they get a “stop sign” hand and don’t feel listened to. But from the perspective of the referee, NBA players throw up their arms and whine about a lot of calls every game (Green is one of the biggest offenders here). How much of that can you hear a game and keep tuning it out?
