Getty LA Clippers star Paul George drives to the basket during a game against the Golden State Warriors.
Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George was a man on a mission during his team’s 2021-22 season opener on Thursday. His objective: to get to the tin and either get points or get to the free-throw line. Unfortunately for him, though, the officials weren’t wise to the plan.
In spite of his many attempts to draw contact while driving to the hoop, George didn’t attempt a single foul shot in his 37 minutes on the court. And that dearth of attempts from the charity stripe undoubtedly had an effect on what eventually became a 115-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
So, true to form, PG-13 saw fit to unload on the referees after the game.
“Draymond [Green] got nine of them, so honestly I don’t know what he did that I wasn’t doing,” George said after the loss. “I drove the ball more than he did to the paint, took more contact than he did, I don’t know how he gets rewarded with nine of them.”
George’s Continuing Battle With NBA Officials
The lack of free-throw attempts wasn’t the only aspect of the officiating that George had problems with. He also took issue with a technical foul he received for arguing a non-call.
“It’s just crazy, you get T’d up,” he said. “I’m getting hit in the face, I’m getting smacked in the face, I shot a three and got smacked on the elbow. That is just crazy to me.”
This kind of vitriol towards the officials is nothing new for George; he’s been battling the whistle (or lack thereof) for some time. In fact, the Clippers star is entering double-digit territory where racking up fines for criticizing the Association’s referees is concerned.
In 2020, he was fined a cool $35,000 for his commentary. In that instance, it was noted by the league that the fine reflected “his multiple prior violations of the rule prohibiting public criticism of the officiating,” as relayed by the Los Angeles Times.
He was hit with another $35,000 fine last season when he famously insinuated that NBA referees are liars.
“Can’t go too much further than that, it’s a bunch of lies,” he said of his conversations with officials, via ESPN.
On to the Grizz
After coming up just short against Stephen Curry and Co. in their opener, the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers will try again for win No. 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. However, the path to victory probably won’t be any easier than it was against Golden State.
For their part, the Grizz tipped off their ’21-22 campaign with a 132-121 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Along the way, Ja Morant continued his quickening ascent toward superstar status. The former No. 2 overall pick dropped 37 points on 17-of-29 shooting in the game. He also added six assists, six rebounds and two blocked shots in the game.
The Clips-Grizz affair will tip-off from Staples Center at 7:30 p.m. PT.
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