Friday night’s Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics game saw Celtics’ forward Jayson Tatum pick up his second technical foul and the accompanying ejection near the end of the third quarter. That came after he was called for an offensive foul against the Sixers’ Robert Covington, which was upgraded to a flagrant foul (it included kneeing Covington in the groin). Tatum then was ejected by referees Nick Buchert and Phenizee Ransom while he was in a discussion with officiating crew chief Bill Kennedy:
Jayson Tatum was ejected after receiving his second technical foul. pic.twitter.com/fp6PyrCL46
— ESPN (@espn) December 2, 2023
After the game (which Boston won 125-119), Tatum had plenty to say to reporters on how he didn’t feel he deserved that technical. Here’s some of that, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic:
Jayson Tatum on ejection: "Players, we compete and affect the game. The refs, they have an effect on the game. They threw me out, right or wrong, it’s their word against ours. I can’t get that time back."
He says he didn't curse.
"Me and Bill was having a conversation."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) December 2, 2023
Tatum: "I felt like I got fouled on that. I was just trying to have a conversation about that play and it was as simple as that."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) December 2, 2023
But this led to one really remarkable quote:
Jayson Tatum: "Again, I wasn’t that fucking mad. Don’t put that narrative out there. I didn’t throw nothing. I said what I said. There was no magic words."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) December 2, 2023
As Weiss, Jared Wade, and many others noted, that’s almost exactly a famed tweet from @dril:
it really happened https://t.co/ZR0T3eGYln pic.twitter.com/kj4p2qRwqC
— Jared Wade (@Jared_Wade) December 2, 2023
Meanwhile, Kennedy spoke to a pool reporter after the game about why Tatum was ejected. Here’s that quote, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps:
“Following a loose ball foul that was called on Jayson, Jayson continued to complain and was asked multiple times to head to his bench,” Kennedy said. “He continued to complain about the foul called on the floor and overtly gestures toward the officials and was assessed a second technical foul.”
Whether the second technical was deserved or not, Tatum’s “I wasn’t that ******* mad” is an amazing quote. He’s definitely entitled to try and present his case, and to argue that he didn’t say anything worth a further technical (although Kennedy’s quote indicates that wasn’t given for a specific comment, but rather his continued arguing). But the way he did so here is quite something. And it’s remarkable to see a @dril tweet come to life in the NBA.
