Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale was fined $30,000 by the league office following his comments criticizing the officiating in Game 2 against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, NBA Executive VP Kiki VanDeWeghe announced Wednesday.
Fizdale's post-game press conference rant is one of the best in recent memory, surgically picking apart the flaws in the officiating stat-by-stat and demanding respect for his team and players by emphasizing the free-throw disparity throughout the game.
While this is a fine the rookie coach could probably see coming a mile away, it's fair to say he got his money's worth in order to put the officials on notice and hopefully more aware of calls going Memphis way now that they've been put on blast.
Most importantly, this was a call to his own players to remain aggressive and keep attacking the paint, knowing their coach will back them up every step of the way, just as he did in that press conference.
Fizdale emphasized how Kawhi Leonard shot and made 19 free throws, more than his entire team combined (15 free-throw attempts). Leonard's automatic night from the line is also the third-most by a player without a miss in postseason history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Take THAT for data.
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