We’ve seen NBA players pick up technical fouls for provocation. We’ve seen them acquire technology for swearing, obscene gestures, and unnecessary contact with officials. But a technical foul like Eric Lewis hitting Patrick Beverly in the end of regulation for Saturday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics goes down in NBA history. I have never seen it in
Let’s set the scene. Beverly was called for an incredibly late foul on Jaylen Brown’s layup as the Lakers trailed him by three points in the final seconds. Brown converts and-1 and Boston draws. Moments later, the referee missed a clear foul on LeBron James’ layup attempt that would have won the game. Suddenly, a game the Lakers should have won in regulation goes into overtime.
But Beverly was not going to take this silently. As a veteran, he knows that nothing gets done just by complaining to the referee. So after the honk, he literally takes matters into his own hands and tries to show Lewis his mistakes with a camera in the middle of his court.
This immediately raises at least three major issues.
- Where did Beverly get the camera? Did he borrow it from one of the game’s photographers? Did the Lakers staff have it? Or is Beverley just a budding photographer rolling into the arena with his equipment?
- how was it actually upon camera? Was it just symbolic? Or did Beverly find an angle where she really wants to talk to Lewis?
- Has anyone else participated in this? Durbin Hamm almost certainly would not have conceded such an obvious technical foul just before the start of extra time. Especially when that extra point the Lakers gave up cost them a game-tying 3-pointer chance at the end of overtime.
These questions may be answered in time. As of now, Beverly’s stunt ranks as arguably the funniest technical foul in the history of professional basketball.
Big names across the sport are already speaking out.Former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns tagged Beverly on Twitter Along with three laugh emojis, Beverly responded Heart emoji after “No Comment Love Gang”. NBA Twitter Master worldwide wobb Joining the aforementioned Duncan call, Rasheed Wallace was sent off for staring at an official and adding it to his all-time technical Mount Rushmore when technical Amir Johnson received the ball for wrestling away from the official Did.
Beverly will almost certainly be fined for this incident, but how many thousands of dollars compared to immortality? Beverly created one of the great memes of our time. Even with the loss, he will remain one of the Lakers’ most memorable moments this season.