The NBA suspended veteran referee Tony Brothers after a verbal altercation between him and Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie back in November. Former NBA player Matt Barnes thinks Brothers, and NBA refs in particular, need more accountability for their crucial decisions that affect games. This isn’t the first time Barnes has had a beef with Brothers’ approach to officiating.
On Tuesday, NBA reporter Marc Stein reported that the NBA sidelined Brothers for a single game over his alleged words. Per Stein, the NBA “never announced the punishment because it wasn’t an official suspension that came with a missed paycheck.”
Why Did NBA Ref Tony Brothers Call Spencer Dinwiddie “B*tch-ass Motherf**ker”?
The apparent verbal altercation was Tony Brothers calling Spencer Dinwiddie a “b*tch-ass motherf**ker,” according to Spencer Dinwiddie.
At first, Dinwiddie chose not to reveal the perpetrator’s name. Dinwiddie also clarified that Brothers didn’t say these things to his face. He instead called Dinwiddie those profanities when referencing him in a chat with another Dallas Mavericks player, Dinwiddie claimed.
“Not only would I like my money back. But I would like to not be called a bitch-ass mother f****er to my teammates,” Dinwiddie said in a postgame presser. “If there’s anybody who feels that way about me — not naming any names — they can address me personally, face to face.”
The altercation stemmed from Brothers handing Dinwiddie a technical foul after Dinwiddie argued a foul call against him during a Mavs victory over the Toronto Raptors. Brothers then allegedly spoke to a Mavericks teammate, where he would reference Dinwiddie as a “B*tch Ass Motherf*cker,”
After investigating the matter, the NBA has made its decision on how to punish Brothers, but it’s Dinwiddie who will suffer the consequences of calling out an NBA ref.
Spencer Dinwiddie ejection is a classic example of @NBAOfficial taking their revenge on him speaking out against Tony Brothers.
They are gonna send their message whichever way they can.
— Ishaan Bhattacharya (@IshaanBhatta) November 30, 2022
Matt Barnes Not Happy With Way NBA Handled Tony Brothers Punishment
Barnes, a former NBA player, who has seen his share of questionable calls — a few by Brothers — over the years, has a question for the NBA.
Why isn’t Brothers being held accountable in the public eye for his mistake like all NBA players are? Sports Illustrated shows how he articulated these points:
“Why does this not make headlines?? Anytime a player is suspended for find its headlines. But here an NBA ref was suspended for a game, for calling a player a b—- ass mother—— and its crickets.” Barnes said.
According to Stein, the suspension was not formally announced and publicized because it was not a “suspension without pay.”
Barnes expanded onhis point by going in-depth about the standards refs should be held to just as players are. Different things such as referee grades should be public knowledge, postgame interviews should include refs as well, and they should be “fined and suspended” for making bad calls that decide the outcome of a game.
All Barnes is basically asking is that the NBA hold refs to the same standards and levels of accountability as they do their players.
Who Is NBA Referee Tony Brothers?
Tony Brothers is refereeing his 29th season now, according to the National Basketball Referees Association. He has been refereeing since the 1994-1995’ season and has refereed over 1,600 games in the NBA.
Being a seasoned ref like that comes with its perks obviously, as he is well-respected not only by his peers and players but by NBA executive offices. But there’s also a standard and a certain type of etiquette when you’re a respected referee, and for Brothers to say something like about a player is just unacceptable.
Barnes is taking this opportunity to shed a light on the refs, who he says are almost never held accountable by the media and never have to face the music in the same way that the players do, yet they are often just as responsible for the outcome of the games as the players are.
