Twitter foul? NBA ref sues AP reporter over tweet

The referee, Bill Spooner, is asking for $75,000, a steep price for a tweet. Read what the reporter said, and see the NBA’s reaction. The term, ‘Throwing him under the bus’ comes to mind.

Referee Bill Spooner is suing an Associated Press reporter for tweeting during a Jan. 24 game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets. The tweet said:

“Ref Bill Spooner told Rambis he’d ‘get it back’ after a bad call. Then he made an even worse call on Rockets. That’s NBA officiating folks.”

The implication is that Spooner promised Rambis a makeup call—a big no-no that is by no means unprecedented.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.