Chapter 179 I'm Not Targeting Kobe

There was no surprise when Hansen received a $25,000 fine from the League after the game.

But the matter didn't end with this fine.

The day after the game ended, Carrell published a vehement article on TNT: "The NBA, Dragged into the Abyss by Referees."

"The 2011 summer championship brought the NBA its biggest celebration in nearly a decade. Had it not been for the lockout, this season would have been unprecedentedly prosperous," Carrell wrote. "Instead, the referees are dragging the NBA into the abyss. When a commercial league loses its fairness, what reason does it have left to be loved by its fans?"

Carrell's news story had one purpose: to blow up the incident.

Anyone with half a brain could tell that the issue of officiating standards couldn't be disconnected from the League.

Only by making a big fuss could there be a chance to change the situation.

In fact, thanks to the off-court hype by Barkley and O'Neal, this playoff series already had very high visibility.