NBA reportedly sidelined referee Tony Brothers for alleged 'mother f***er' insult of Mavs G Spencer Dinwiddie
Spencer Dinwiddie told reporters that referee Tony Brothers referred to him as a "bitch-ass mother f****er" to one of his Dallas Mavericks teammates in a game on Nov. 4.
On Tuesday, NBA reporter Marc Stein reported that the NBA sidelined Brothers a single game for his alleged words. Per Stein, the NBA never announced the punishment because it wasn't an official suspension that came with a missed paycheck.
The incident took place after Brothers called Dinwiddie for a technical foul after Dinwiddie protested a take foul in a win over the Toronto Raptors.
Dinwiddie told reporters after the game that "a clap" prompted Brothers to issue a technical. He also acknowledged that he may have used a curse word, but that it wasn't directed at anybody. He then said that a teammate told him that Brothers called him a "bitch-ass mother f****er."
"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. "If there's anybody who feels that way about me — not naming any names — they can address me personally, face to face."
Dinwiddie reiterated that he was upset that Brothers made his comments behind his back.
"I understand it's the heat of the moment. I've definitely said swear words," Dinwiddie continued. "But like if I was playing against somebody on the other team and they said that to my teammate, I would be like listen, 'Hey, listen I'm right here.
"But because obviously they're in positions of authority and whatnot, you can't necessarily ask for that address, so I'm just taking my fair stance and saying, 'Hey, look, if you feel that way, fine by me. Just say it to my face, like any other grown man.' That's all I want."
Dinwiddie later told The Athletic that the NBA had reached out to him for his side of the story while confirming that he was talking about Brothers.
They asked me," Dinwiddie told The Athletic. "I told them what happened. I was very clear with that part. After that, they do what they do, I don’t know."
Neither Brothers nor the NBA have publicly addressed the incident.
Brothers is one of the league's longest-tenured referees in his 29th season. Prior to this season, Brothers officiated 1,626 regular-season games and 174 playoff games, including 15 in the NBA Finals.
