Chris Paul was fuming after his Los Angeles Clippers were hit with five technical fouls in Thursday’s 105-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, so much so that he might have placed himself in hot water.
Paul ripped rookie official Lauren Holtkamp, who issued the point guard one of the Clips’ five techs. In the process, he drew the ire of some fans and the NBA referees association by saying of Holtkamp, “This might not be for her.”
“I think we have to show better composure, but at the same time some of (the technical fouls) were ridiculous,” Paul said, via ESPN.com. “The tech that I get right there is ridiculous. I don’t care what nobody says, I don’t care what she says. That’s terrible. There’s no way that can be a tech.
“We try to get the ball out fast every time down the court, and when we did that, she said, ‘Uh-uh.’ I said, ‘Why uh-uh?’ And she gave me a tech.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Paul added. “If that’s the case, this might not be for her.”
The last part of Paul’s comments raised eyebrows since Holtkamp is just the third female full-time referee in NBA history. She has worked NBA games on a part-time basis, as well as D-League, WNBA, college and international games for years.
Lee Seham, general counsel for the National Basketball Referees Association, stood behind Holtkamp on Friday.
[tweet https://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA/status/563735267665014785 align=’center’]
Paul has not had a chance to directly clarify his remarks, which could have been referring to Holtkamp’s inexperience, rather than her gender. The Clippers travel north to take on the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
