Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul was ejected for his remarks during the closing moments of Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. With 6.6 seconds remaining and the game nearing its end, the NBA star’s comments led to his ejection.
Paul explained the reason behind his first technical foul: “I called him a TikToker, and I got a tech,” referring to his interaction with NBA referee Tony Brothers.
“Old Tony. He was talking to me, and I talked back. I called him a TikToker, and I got a tech. It was the first one. I just said, ‘TikToker,’ gave me a tech,” Paul said.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors Updates
The second technical foul occurred after Paul told Brothers he had too much power to hand out his first technical foul over something like that.
“Second one, I just said that’s too much power. He gave me another tech,” Paul said.
Following the game, Paul highlighted his comment by sharing a related TikTok on his Instagram story. In the video clip, Brothers is a guest on a podcast, admitting he “doesn’t care too much for basketball.” Still, instead, he enjoys being the judge, jury, prosecuting attorney, and defense attorney on an NBA court.
Paul acknowledged that his comments were likely to lead to his ejection but also noted the relative triviality of the offense. He speculated on the possibility of the league overturning the second technical and, by extension, the ejection and its accompanying automatic fine, though he doubted such an outcome.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Chris Paul, Golden State Warriors Updates
Paul has a long history with NBA officials. His most heated “rivalry” is with Scott Foster, which many consider a “personal beef” between the two. The more interactions between Paul and the referees tend to underscore officials’ tumultuous relationship with players.
