Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. has drawn some controversy after his recent scuffle with the referees at the end of Wednesday night’s Clippers game. Recently, there has been much discourse around officiation in the league. Kelly Oubre had similar issues with last night’s game and wanted to be vocal enough to let his feelings be known to the officials.
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With the Clippers leading by a point in the game’s final seconds, Oubre Jr. tried pulling a last-second shot for the team but failed to convert the chance. However, the guard and the Sixers coach, Nick Nurse, were visibly upset about a foul call being ignored during the attempt by the officials. Oubre Jr. was particularly salty about the refs missing such a huge call and called all of them a ‘b**ch’ on their faces.
This fiasco became the latest topic of discussion for the panelists on Fan Duel’s Run It Back show, with former Clippers star Lou Williams adding his two cents to the same. Watching the footage of Oubre Jr. confronting each of the refs last night, Williams predicted the fine that the league could impose on the guard. “That’s $25k per b**ch,” said Williams, implying how Oubre Jr. might have to pay $75,000 as a consequence.
Recently, Draymond Green started getting into the limelight, as well, due to his confrontation with players and the match officials. After two incidents of getting into physical altercations with opponent players, Green was indefinitely suspended for getting rehabilitation and therapy to control his behavior. Lou Williams contends that the matter could have been blown beyond proportions if Draymond Green were in this situation.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has apologized for cursing at the referees
NBA’s recent game officiating decisions have become heated contentions among players and fans. Players have been vocal about their frustrations with specific calls from the referees, which has impacted the games drastically over time. In an intense last-second moment of the fourth quarter, it is understandable for Oubre Jr. to lose his cool, given his team was just one point short of overtime.
As reported by Hoops Hype, Oubre Jr. later apologized for his words and actions on the floor. Speaking to the press, the Sixers guard said,
“We’re not perfect. The refs aren’t perfect. I want to apologize for just losing my cool because that’s something I work on each and every day, try to represent God in the best way I possibly can, and that wasn’t it. I just ask for forgiveness.”
The officials later did admit to the missed call on Oubre Jr. during the game. Consequently, the 76ers faced a tough 107-108 loss against the Clippers. If there indeed was a call on the foul against the Sixers guard, he could have converted the free-throw attempt in either leading the game to overtime or a subsequent win.
