NBA officials interviewed Tim Duncan about his ejection in Sunday’s loss to Dallas as the league’s investigation appeared to focus on the actions of referee Joey Crawford.
Duncan said he spoke with an NBA security representative Monday by phone and told him the same thing he told reporters the previous day when he was ejected by Crawford while sitting on the bench:
Crawford asked him if he wanted to fight before either technical foul was issued; he made only one verbal complaint to Crawford about a call; and he was laughing about a call against Fabricio Oberto when Crawford ejected him.
Duncan also admitted he cursed at Crawford but only after he had been ejected and had started to leave the court. Crawford said Duncan called him a “piece of (expletive).”
“I called him that,” Duncan said. “But I wanted to make sure (league officials) knew that wasn’t why I was ejected.”
