Few (if any) Boston Celtics fans were pleased with a game official’s decision to eject Kemba Walker — a two-time Sportsmanship Award winner — from Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Danny Ainge is one of those displeased. The Celtics’ president of basketball operations voiced his displeasure for the ejection during an appearance Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich.”
“I thought it was quick,” Ainge said, as transcribed by WBZ-TV. “I thought that the official reacted emotionally and too quickly. I think Kemba got up and was very frustrated without the call, and he cursed at the official. But it seemed almost as if he was cursing and the cursing was not finished yet when he got the first T. And then (the ref) should have just turned and walked away, and then if Kemba comes after him continually, then I understand it. But it just seemed so quick, the second technical and the ejection, that … I don’t know, that was my take.”
Walker took a tumble midway through the third quarter of Wednesday’s game after running into a hard screen set by LaMarcus Aldridge, and was unhappy a foul wasn’t called. So he made sure to let the officials know.
After the game, crew chief Rodney Mott explained Walker received the two technical fouls for directing profanity toward a ref, leading to his ejection. The Celtics could protest the second tech, however.
“There is a process that you can protest all you want. The league will listen to you if there is a reason, I think that those things can happen.” Ainge said. “We may protest the second technical foul on Kemba. I don’t think it was warranted. But there’s nothing that’s going to happen, other than Kemba may get his money back from getting a second technical. The game’s over and there’s no recourse. I certainly don’t want a young official that may have made a mistake — or may not. I’d like to hear his side of the story, too, which I haven’t. But the bottom line is it happened and it’s over and we’ll move on. Those things don’t really matter.”
We can’t imagine we’ll see Walker in this position again anytime soon, if ever.
