“Purest Form of Garbage”: Fans Fume in Disgust After NBA Ref Tony Brothers-Dejounte Murray Fiasco

Tony Brothers is a renowned name in the refereeing circles of the NBA considering he’s been officiating for a jaw-dropping 29 seasons! However, fans erupted in anger today over a call he made against Dejounte Murray in the Atlanta Hawks’ game against the Brooklyn Nets. The game may have ended in the Hawks falling short 102-114 but that is not the primary source of fan frustration.

With Hawks’ superstar Trae Young sidelined by injury, Dejounte Murray has been balling out for the Atlanta Hawks! He put up a solid 20 points, 6 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists in their recent game against the Brooklyn Nets. He’s even been averaging double-digit assists in 3 out of his last 4 games.

However, in a strange turn of events, during the game, things got interesting when Murray called a timeout. Coach Quin Snyder had some plays to draw up, but referee Tony Brothers wanted to speak to him. Murray, maybe caught up in the heat of the moment, didn’t seem interested and looked away. Boom! Technical foul. With the Hawks trailing by 17 points and only 4 minutes left, this call sparked outrage among fans online. The All-Star player essentially received a technical for ignoring referee Tony Brothers!

Technical Foul or Technical Foul Play?

Being a referee is undoubtedly tough. They have to keep the game under control while allowing players to compete fairly. This situation at hand shows just how tricky that can be. Fans are fired up about this call, and it looks like the debate surrounding officiating in the NBA is picking up heat online.

One fan, directing their comment towards NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, claimed that a “total rampage” has been occurring throughout the season and demanded action lest it ruins the NBA brand.

While others took a more extreme stance, calling for Tony Brothers’ removal from the league!

Dejounte Murray himself took to his Twitter account to share his side of the proceedings. He called the whole pantomime unbelievable, and insisted that “there was nothing to talk about”. He ended the tweet with a bunch of facepalm emojis, to signify how utterly unnecessary he thought the whole situation was.

This isn’t the first time Tony Brothers has been in the spotlight and under scrutiny for his calls. Similar to other incidents, one such case occurred back in November 2022, when Brothers called a technical on Spencer Dinwiddie during a Mavericks game. Things got heated further after that when Dinwiddie alleged that Brothers referred to him as a “bit-h a— moth—er” to one of Dinwiddie’s teammates. While Tony wasn’t officially suspended, reports indicated that he did miss a game after.

Saturday’s events serve as a stark reminder to all the NBA players: ignoring Tony Brothers may come at a hefty cost, the cost of a technical!

With all the examples of questionable officiating in the league this season, does Adam Silver need to address this as the most pressing issue? Let us know your thoughts below.