billinder33 wrote:vvoland wrote:billinder33 wrote:
Refs can only govern what happens on the basketball court. Felonies are the preview of country, state, and federal courts
Dray has received more leniency over the years for his on court actions than any player in NBA history. The league office has finally had enough. Adam Silver and the league's marketing and legal staffs aren't going to put up with the optics and the liability risk any longer. That's really all there is too it. Dude needs to learn to control his mouth and his flailing limbs or he'll be out of a job. Simple as.
My question to sleepy was about the conversation around dray. Hence the felonies. I think it's hypocritical for the league and the media cast dray as some dangerous psychopath that needs therapy. Especially when the league has no problem paying millions of dollars to actual felons.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think dray is a nice guy. Doesn't seem like a guy I want around me or those I love. But that isn't the bar and in a league full of peope that cross the line, dray barely makes the assssshole all stars.
This is his first ejection since he's been back. Anyone thinking he'd never get ejected was kidding themselves. Getting a second tech for calling the ref a b!tch a$$ seems soft to me considering everything else I've heard players say to the refs, dray included.
Surely you can link where the league called Dray a "dangerous psychopath"?
The NFL has tried to legislate morality for infractions off the field for over 5 years now, and it's been a disaster. Off-field issues are for the legal system.
The NBA mandated yet another round of therapy for Dray because of a cumulation of on-court violations. Not one, not two, not three... Literally multiple behaviors per year, including a workplace assault on a teammate. It's not 1975 anymore - you can't headshot players in any sports league, fighting is being legislated out of hockey, women are locker room reporters, refs, broadcasters... and no ref in 2024 should have to put up with personal slurs.
Cursing about foul call (ex: "that's a BS f*ing foul") is one thing, but if any player calls a ref a "b!tch a$$", they deserve a tech. I really don't care what other players have gotten away with in the past. I support any ref not putting up with that, and fully endorse language of that nature getting a tech, every player every time. If it's the 2nd tech if the game i.e ejection, so be it. Refs are human beings and shouldn't have to endure profane verbal abuse as part of the job. If that trend started just yesterday with Dray getting bounced, then I'm all for it.
It seems like I'm doing a poor job of making myself clear. This isn't about what I think the standards should be or whether or not I agree with how games are refereed. I'm simply trying to say two things:
A. that based on how refs handle players in general, and dray specifically, that second tech seemed petty. Bol bol told the refs they were d!ск riding wemby the other night and all he got was a chuckle. I don't mind if the refs cracked down on players talking to them, I think it'd be great for the game. But, I'm willing to bet that's not what happened. A ref got butt hurt and tossed a guy 4 minutes into the game. Again, not saying dray didn't deserve it but players, dray included, have said much worse and the refs just kept it moving. What other players have gotten away with in the past is the context in which the conversation between dray and the ref last night took place. It's not irrelevant.
B. I'm not sure how dray became the NBA's dr. Evil. No, I can't link to the NBA calling dray a dangerous psychopath. I never said they called him that. But the discourse around him seemed off the rails. Players were talking "I hope he gets the help he needs." Coaches, including Kerr, were saying "I'm more worried about dray the man than I am the player" and the league's language and suspension reflected a situation that rose to ron arrest levels, which I didn't see. By the way, I'm all for therapy and self improvement. Having relied on the former and constantly struggling with the latter, I'll be the last person to discount those things. Tomorrow night, however, we'll be playing Miles Bridges. Haven't heard many players, coaches or media people worried about Miles "getting the help he needs." In fact, most everyone just ignores it or sidesteps it. We'll play Dillon Brooks next week; are you sure dray has been involved in more on court scuffles than Dillon? We're going to play a flat-earth, anti-vax, anti-semite twice in the next two weeks but players love Kyrie like he walks on water. How is dray the league's poster child for bad behavior when coaches and players have faced rape, assault, and domestic violence charges and convictions. I can think of a dozen players that need counseling, therapy or a goddamn lobotomy well before I get to dray.