Amir Johnson was ejected during the third quarter of the Toronto Raptors-Portland Trailblazers game on Monday after getting into a fight with referee David Jones over whether Johnson could touch the ball following a free throw. Seriously.
Johnson wanted to touch the ball after Portland’s J.J. Hickson made a free throw line, but referee David Jones maintained control. They struggled over who would hold the ball, and it ended with Jones blowing his whistle and giving Johnson a technical foul for holding things up. The technical foul caused Johnson to lose it.
“He turned his back, I really wanted to know what happened,” Johnson explained after the game, via Ben Golliver of The Point Forward. “Nothing was said. I lost my cool right there. I never had any problems all the eight years I’ve been in the league. I never argued with a ref or did anything wrong. From there, I just lost my cool.”
Johnson apologized for the incident and said it was out of character. He described the whole thing as childish.
“I think [it was childish] between both of us,” Johnson said. “We were both wrestling with the ball. That was kind of childish. We both either could of let it go or anything. That part was childish. Plus, on my part for reacting that way.”
Johnson’s blowup culminated with him angrily throwing his mouthpiece toward Jones. He knows he was wrong and is ready to accept the consequences.
“I don’t know if anybody got hit, I apologize for that,” Johnson said, per Golliver. “I’m going to accept the consequences. Whatever happens, happens. I apologize if I hurt anybody or I did anything wrong.”
At least Johnson is acting like a man after what was very much a childish incident. Sheesh. This should be a fun one for the league office to review.
