NBA Slaps Paul George With $35,000 Fine for ?Awful? Jab at Referees

The Los Angeles Clippers have not won a single game since the acquisition of James Harden. That is not what the Clippers fans expected from their team. Kawhi Leonard and Co. extended their losing streak to 6 games after losing their last game to the defending Champions, the Denver Nuggets. Paul George played great in that game, scoring 35 points in 40 minutes. But that was not enough to get his team the win over 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

After the game, PG criticized the referees for an ?awful? job at officiating the game. The NBA has responded to Paul George?s jab at the officials and slapped him with a hefty $35,000 fine.

NBA penalizes Paul George for criticizing referees

Following the humiliating loss against the Denver Nuggets, Paul George took a jab at the referees for missing several calls during the game, ?It’s tough, the adversity of playing against the extra three (officials). I thought they were awful.? PG?s statement has led to the NBA fining the Clippers superstar $35,000. The NBA released an official statement regarding the fine and stated that the amount is partly based on PG?s history of public criticism of the officiating. The 8-time All-Star was not happy with the inconsistency in calls during their last game. The Clippers-Nuggets game was a close one and a simple mistake in officiating could have cost either team the match.

Paul George has played great this season, averaging 24.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. But his team is currently among the worst teams in the league, with a 3-7 record. So, it is evident why PG was frustrated after the last game?s result. The Clippers are desperately looking for their first win in the James Harden era, and they cannot afford any missed calls from the referees in close games like the last one.

NBA has a genuine problem

This is not the first time a superstar has publicly criticized the referees for bad officiating. Several players and fans, in the past, have raised concerns about inconsistent calls and soft technical fouls during games. Just a few days ago, Victor Wembanyama got his career?s first technical foul for bouncing the ball too high. A few days before that, Giannis Antetokounmpo got ejected from the game for mean-mugging his opponent for a split second after a nasty dunk.

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Although these decisions avoid bigger altercations, they take away from the spirit of the game. If the players are not allowed to show a little emotion on the court, then the games will become way less entertaining, and fans will tune out, eventually. The NBA might need to stop punishing the players who call these problems out and start looking for solutions to fix this problem once and for all.

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Do you think Adam Silver will listen to the players? Or will he back his referees and continue to fine players for calling them out?