Jaylen Brown was ejected for the first time in his NBA career Friday night.
The Boston Celtics star believes it never should have happened.
Brown picked up a technical foul for arguing a call in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Boston, then was ejected after picking up a second T when he went to the bench shortly afterward.
The Celtics won 133-123, but that did little to ease the emotions of Brown and Boston coach Joe Mazzulla after the game.
“To be honest, I’m not sure,” Brown told reporters when asked why he was tossed. “But I wish I would’ve got my money’s worth. I always thought my first career ejection would be something a little more exciting. Maybe a tussle or something, guys get folded up, go to the ground, not some overemotional ref who had a bad day. What I’m most upset about is I should’ve got my f—ing money’s worth.”
Brown picked up the initial technical when he appeared to complain after being whistled for a foul while defending Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley on the perimeter. Mazzulla said one official told him that Brown said “don’t call that weak-ass s—,” leading to the tech — which perplexed the Celtics coach.
“I’ve been on the sidelines in the NBA for five years, and I’ve seen players act and say things that are way more disrespectful than that,” Mazzulla said.
Crew chief Mark Lindsay told a pool reporter that the first technical was for “use of profanity toward a game official.” And the second was for “a wave-off directed at the official, which under the respect of the game guidelines is considered an overt gesture and an unsportsmanlike act.”
Brown questioned that, too.
“You could tell, his emotions were involved, XYZ, wanted to make it a back-and-forth,” Brown said. “I’m explaining to the ref, and he calls the second tech from the other side of the court, which is a clear example of somebody exercising their power to try to get somebody thrown out the game. I thought it was bulls—.”
Brown scored 17 points before leaving as Boston improved to 10-0 at home. Derrick White added 30 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 21 in his return to the lineup after missing four games with a strained left calf.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.