The NBA has fined Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers $25,000 for publicly criticizing referees. This followed his team's loss on Thursday to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Paul criticized the referees twice during the game, according to CBS Sports. The first time was after he was hit with a technical foul from Lauren Holtkamp, a rookie referee in the NBA.
The Clippers star complained about the officiating again when his team received their fifth technical foul of the game. This happened while the Los Angeles squad was trying to inbound the basketball.
In the third quarter the Clippers were charged with four of their five technical fouls, and it happened within less than a minute, just 52 seconds.
Chris Paul referred to the technical foul he received while trying to inbound the ball as "ridiculous." He explained that his team typically tries to inbound the ball quickly.
In fact, Paul even questioned whether Holtkamp is in the right profession. Referring to the technical foul he received while inbounding the ball, he observed, "this (job) might not be for her."
There was much buzz following Paul's comments that they were possibly due to Holtkamp's gender, according to ESPN. In fact, the referees union of the NBA reprimanded Paul for his comments, for this reason.
However, after reviewing the events involving Chris Paul, the NBA ruled that his comments were not based on gender. The fine was strictly based on his public criticism of the officiating during the game.
Also, the NBA Players Association made an official statement that supported Paul. Michele Roberts, the association's executive director, pointed out that many successful women are members of Paul's personal management team.