The NBA fined the Lakers' Magic Johnson $10,000 and
suspended him for three games for bumping referee Scott Foster
during Sunday's game (NBA). Johnson called the penalty
"justified," adding, "It's just something that unfortunately
happened and I'm just sorry that it happened. Especially, after
I came down hard on Nick [Van Exel] and Cedric [Ceballos] for the
things that they did" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 4/15). The total
penalty to Johnson will be $102,463,40 (Scott Howard Cooper, L.A.
TIMES, 4/16). Lakers GM Jerry West said some of the recent
tension between players and officials may be attributed to some
officials' inexperience (Anthony Cotton, WASHINGTON POST, 4/16).
REAX: In New York, Ira Berkow calls for the suspension to
include playoff games: "Any kind of physical abuse of the
referee ought to be treated by the league in the most serious
manner. It is an urgent problem on the verge of becoming a
trend. And it contains the seeds of the destruction of the game"
(N.Y. TIMES, 4/16). NewSport's Jody McDonald called it "fair and
just" (NewSport, 4/15). In Tacoma, John McGrath calls on
tougher penalties for "punks such as Van Exel": "There's no
reason the NBA can't restore order on the court. All the league
needs is a rulebook in tune with the times" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE,
4/16). USA TODAY's Bryan Burwell writes ref-abuse incidents are
"getting slightly ridiculous" (USA TODAY, 4/16).
OFFICIAL WORD: Darrell Garretson, NBA Chief of
Staff/Officials, on the Johnson episode: "To say I was surprised
would be the understatement of the year. ... I think what you've
had is three isolated incidents. I think what my job is to make
certain the officials conduct themselves in the manner in which I
would like for them to conduct themselves. I think they've
handled themselves great at this point and I want to make certain
that that continues. ... I think [the NBA's disciplinary system
is] working quite well" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 4/15).
FROM OTHER MEN IN GRAY: Veteran NBA ref Joe Crawford: "I
read that the commissioner says it's the dog days of the
schedule. Well we're in the same dog days. I just came off a
five-game-in-seven-days trip and I didn't push or punch a player
or a coach" (Phil Jasner, PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 4/16). Former NBA
ref Jake O'Donnell was interviewed by Charles Gibson on ABC's
"Good Morning America." O'Donnell said the league is just now
starting to come down hard enough on players, adding that with
Johnson's suspension "they made a point that this is the way we
are going." O'Donnell said today's players, because of high
salaries, "don't have any respect for the refs anymore" ("GMA,"
ABC, 4/16).