NBA Referee Faces Stiff Suspension
Star Tim Duncan Claims Joey Crawford has 'Vendetta Against Him'
Apr 17, 2007
NBA referee Joey Crawford has been questioned about his tempor around the league in the past. In Game 2 of the 2003 Western Conference finals, which was ironically also between the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks, Crawford called four technical fouls in the first 10 minutes or so. In that game, he also ejected coach Don Nelson (then coach of the Mavericks) and his assistant, Del Harris.
Crawford ejected Tim Duncan from a game in Dallas on Sunday. He called a second technical on the San Antonio Spurs center while he was on the bench apparently for laughing about a call made against the Spurs. Then, Duncan claims Crawford challenged him to a fight.
"He looked at me and said, 'Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?'" said Duncan. "'If he wants to fight, we can fight. I don't have any problem with him, but we can do it if he wants to. I have no reason why in the middle of a game he would yell at me, 'Do you want to fight?'" Duncan also said that Crawford has a "'personal vendetta against me"' (New York Associated Press - April 17, 2007).
According to Crawford, Duncan complained the entire game and called him an expletive. Duncan does not deny the latter, but claims he only said that after he was ejected. Up to that point, the only thing Duncan claims to have said was, "'I got fouled'" (AOL Sports Blog - April 15, 2007).
On the one hand, the Spurs have a reputation for being constant complainers on the court, so it's not too far-fetched to think that the mild-mannered Duncan may have complained throughout the game. However, on the other hand, Joey Crawford has a reputation around the league for being a bit of a hot head, so it wouldn't necessarily a surprise for Crawford to overexaggerate. In any matter, it raises questions about where the line is for a player and where the line is for a referee when interacting with players.
In his 29th season, Crawford has reffed more playoff games (252 games) than any other active referee. Yet, this suspension will most certainly last through the NBA finals.
With Duncan out of the game, the Mavericks rallied to defeat the Spurs 91-86, and outscored them 19-10 in the fourth quarter. The Spurs' loss helped the Phoenix Suns clinch the second place seeding in the playoffs.
