After picking up an offensive foul during Friday night’s tilt between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, Jayson Tatum had a prolonged conversation with the referee crew at mid-court. The All-Star wing disagreed with the call, that much was clear. A few moments later, Tatum picked up his second technical of the night and was ejected from the game. The Celtics went on to defeat the Sixers, but with their best player watching back in the locker room.
It was the second ejection in Tatum’s NBA career, and quickly became a big part of the story, however. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla downplayed the moment, complimenting his player’s passion. For his part, Tatum was frustrated but calm. He told reporters after the game he didn’t agree with ejection, and for that matter didn’t really understand why it happened. Tatum explained that he never cursed, didn’t make an obscene gesture, and felt as if the referees were just looking for an excuse to toss him. Tatum was clearly unhappy with the result, but able to crack a few jokes as he talked through his side of the story.
You can watch his full comments below, courtesy of our friends at CLNS Media on YouTube.
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