The sport of basketball has come a long way since the early days when there was no dribbling, and points were scored in peach baskets. The high level of athleticism can, at times, get out of hand. In turn, it is important for refs to be on the up-and-up when it comes to calling fouls. This week, Chris Paul commented on his fouls in the Cleveland game, and the poor officiating that came from a rookie referee. In general, this has proven to be a week of fouls, after Raptors DeMar DeRozan was fined for excessive contact.
Before his time as a professional, Paul played college ball for Wake Forest University. During his time there, he led the Demon Deacons to their first #1 ranking.
His consistent performances earned him a fourth overall pick by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 NBA Draft, but he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers 2011.
Paul is known for his long list of accomplishments. For example, he is an Olympic Gold Medalist, he led the NBA in assists three times, steals six times, and he is a six-time All-Defensive team member.
In turn, based on a report by Bleacher Report, it was interesting to hear Paul's explanation for his recent increase in fouls:
"Los Angeles Clippers All-Star point guard Chris Pual was evidently frustrated after a 105-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday that wasn't as close as the final score indicated. Paul resorted to venting about the officiating, particularly the job rookie NBA referee Lauren Holtkamp did on the evening at Quicken Loans Arena, when referees assessed the Clippers five technical fouls. Paul picked up a technical and a flagrant foul on the night. Paul has yet to receive any punishment from the NBA."
This week was truly a time for over-the-top fouls. According to Yahoo Sports, one Toronto player was fined $15,000 after an extremely aggressive tackle:
"Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan has been fined $15,000 by the NBA for making excessive contact with Brooklyn Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic. The league announced the fine on Thursday. Bogdanovic was attempting a layup when he was fouled. DeRozan was assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter of the Raptors' 109-93 loss Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre."
What are your opinions on the situation? Let us know in the comment section below.
