Photo Credit: IFWT Instagram
During the first quarter of the Charlotte Hornets 123-112 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook threw the ball towards referee Tre Maddox after the Thunder called a timeout. Maddox turned his head as Westbrook let go of the ball, and it hit him on the side of his face. Westbrook was assessed a technical foul, his 10th of the season, and was shocked at the call.
Westbrook maintains that it was an accident, that he called Maddox to throw the ball to him, but he looked away and it hit him in the head.
“I called his name. He turned right at me and then looked away. I don’t know,” Westbrook said via ESPN. “I don’t know what to tell you, brother. I really don’t. I’m not the type of guy … I would never, ever disrespect the game like that and throw the ball at the referee. I’ve never done it before. That’s just not even heard of in the game before. To get a tech, it’s crazy to me. But you take the good with the bad.”
It was believed that Westbrook threw it at the official on purpose. The throw came after Westbrook didn’t get a call on consecutive drives to the basket. He has expressed frustration with not getting foul calls this season, recently saying he is not officiated like other players.
“Instead of Russell giving the ball to the nearest official, he throws it in the area where Tre is and Tre’s not looking, and the ball hits him in the face,” head official Sean Corbin told a pool reporter after the game. “So that’s a technical foul.”
Westbrook made it clear to officials that it was accidental and later appeared to apologize to Maddox.
