With only 83 technical fouls received in his career, 1,392 matches long, Tim Duncan was not the most difficult player to referee. The Spurs interior knew how to be heard and complain, but he was not a loud mouth. He was only excluded from a match twice: in 2001-2002, then on April 15, 2007.
If the date of this second occurrence was retained, it is for its rather picturesque circumstances. In a meeting in Dallas, Tim Duncan was called for two technical fouls, the second of which was synonymous with expulsion, for simply… laughing on the bench!
The culprit is Joey Crawford, recognized referee and one of the faces of the profession in the NBA for several decades (2,561 matches coached, 374 in the playoffs, 50 in the Finals). The man in gray is also known for his energy, which sometimes veers towards authoritarianism or even anger.
Tim Duncan's stunned look
End of third quarter. Tim Duncan is on the bench, watching Jason Terry shoot his free throws. A few moments earlier, he barely understood the offensive foul that was called against him. Once the second free throw was missed and the rebound was taken by San Antonio, Joey Crawford whistled to interrupt the game. He then penalized Tim Duncan with a technical foul, in front of the latter's astonished look. Stunned, the inside prefers to smile.
A minute later, a foul was called against the Spurs, which provoked a loud laugh from the 2002 and 2003 MVP, still on the bench. Joey Crawford draws a second technical foul and expels Tim Duncan! In a few seconds, the star was ejected while he was on the bench… After the match, Tim Duncan will talk about a ” vendetta.”
“I didn’t say a word!” Joey comes up to me and says, “Do you want to fight? Is that what you want ? » It's weird for a referee to say that. Me, if he wants to fight, I have no problem, if that's what he wants. But it's weird for a referee to tell you that in the middle of a match. Joey knew exactly what he was doing. He arrived at the match with an idea in his head. It's obvious that this is a vendetta against me. During the entire game, I did and said absolutely nothing. And then, in quick succession, he calls two technical fouls to get me out of the match. »
Obviously, the images make the entire NBA microcosm speak, which wonders about the reasons which pushed Joey Crawford to act in this way against a star of the league, who is also one of the most discreet. The referee will explain that he was insulted “ kind of shit » from inside the Spurs. The league decides to look into the matter.
David Stern does not tremble and outright suspends Joey Crawford for “ improper behavior and inappropriate comments » towards Tim Duncan, thus failing in front of the “ standards of professionalism » expected from NBA referees. For his part, the player was fined $25,000 for his insult.
An electric shock for the referee
Joey Crawford will return to the court starting the following season. But this incident, which deeply tarnished his reputation and his career, also served as an eye-opener. Angry and trained in the old school, he realized that he could no longer be dominated by his emotions.
” That really shocked me “he admitted in 2018. “Then I realized I had to do something. I needed to talk to a professional to deal with all this anger. I thought then that there was a good chance that my career was over. My family was also affected by this. I brought my worries home and they were talked about in the press. It was incredibly embarrassing. »
And it is Joel Fish, director of the sports psychology center in Philadelphia, who will then “ save ” his career.
“I started seeing him several times a week. It was the best decision of my life. I wish I had taken it 25 years ago. He advised me to do something with my hands when I felt anger rising within me. Put them on the side or behind my back. He also explained to me that I needed to continually remind myself: 'Calm down.' If someone came to challenge a bad whistle, then I had to slow my breathing, remember that I was a good referee. These things have helped me make the last ten years of my career. »
