Referees Association: 'We deplore the unprofessional comments' from Chris Paul
Consider the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA) unimpressed.
The NBRA responded publicly to the critical comments made by Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul about the officiating of referee Lauren Holtkamp on Thursday, leaving little doubt how they feel.
After review, the calls made by Ms. Holtkamp are fully justified. We deplore the unprofessional comments made by Chris Paul. #shebelongs
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) February 6, 2015
Paul took issue with a technical he received in the third quarter, one of five the Clippers were hit with in a frustrating and lopsided loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"The tech I got was ridiculous," Paul said after the game. "That's terrible. There's no way that can be a technical. We try to get the ball out fast every time down the court. When we did that, she said, 'Uh-uh.' I said, 'Why uh-uh?' and she gave me a technical. That's ridiculous. If that's the case, this might not be for her."
Some interpreted Paul's comments as him questioning whether Holtkamp, one of two female referees in the league, belongs in the profession. Others have taken them to be a more benign criticism of an official, regardless of gender.
Paul will likely be asked to further clarify his comments Friday, with the Clippers set to play on ESPN against the Toronto Raptors.