Clippers’ Chris Paul Fined $25,000 For Possible Sexist Comment About Officiating

Chris Paul was evidently upset, but that still doesn’t allow you to comment on the officiating.

CBS Sports is reporting that the Clippers’ guard made a comment about the technical he received during the Clippers’ 105-94 loss to the guest Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night. The foul, called by female rookie NBA referee Lauren Holtkamp, was the third technical that was called on the Clippers in a 52-second span. The Clippers received four technicals in the third quarter alone and five for the game.

Paul was called for a technical foul when, as the Clippers were trying to inbound the ball, Paul was questioning Holtkamp about a previous call.

“The tech I got was ridiculous,” Paul said of the officiating following 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.”

The reason this instance has caught the public’s attention is not only that a referee was questioned about a call, but because that referee is female. Paul’s comment may be construed as sexist.

USA Today is reporting, however, that the NBA is rallying around Paul, trying to focus on his comment and not Holtkamp’s gender.

Michele Roberts, the NBA Player’s Association executive director, said, “Any suggestion that Chris Paul would ever conduct himself in a disrespectful manner towards women is utterly ridiculous, outrageous and patently false. His personal management team, which includes several accomplished women who play a major role in virtually all of his business affairs is, alone, evidence of that fact.”

Roberts and Paul work together often, as Paul is the president of the NBA Player’s Association union. Roberts further bolstered her comments by saying, “Anyone paying attention is aware that Chris and his Executive Committee colleagues were instrumental in making me the first woman Executive Director of a major men’s professional sports union. Further, Chris and the Committee were nothing but wholly supportive of my recent hire of Chrysa Chin — a woman — as the NBPA’s first ever Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development.”

Also defending Paul was Becky Hammon, assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, and the first female to be hired as a bench coach.

“Chris Paul @CP3 is a competitor & he had an opinion, I don’t think it had anything to do with the refs gender,” Hammon tweeted.

Was the comment about a bad call or a woman making a bad call? Share your opinions below.

[Image courtesy of hoopshype.com]