Fired-up Adelaide 36ers coach Joey Wright fired a parting broadside at the NBL's umpiring fraternity, claiming a lack of competence among the league's referees is preventing the competition from advancing past semi-professional status.
Speaking after his side was ousted from the championship race in Thursday's 106-98 semi-final loss to the Illawarra Hawks, Wright was particularly riled at the decision to throw Anthony Drmic out of the game midway through the third quarter, after the aggressive Sixers reserve received two technical fouls, both for flopping.
Wright insisted Drmic went to ground legitimately both times due to contact while shooting and called on the media to lead the discussion about improving the standard of officiating.
"Very disappointing that we lose a key player to something like that," Wright said.
"He (Drmic) definitely got hit on the three, no question about it (first technical foul); then he's shooting a fadeaway jumpshot, you get bumped a little bit in your chest, you're going to fall back (second technical foul).
"Anyone who's played the game at a decent level will understand that's going to happen.
"If that's their competence level and that's where we're at now, that's why we're a semi-professional league.
"You guys as media really need to deal with that and shed light on what that is and what that means."
Wright said he won't discuss his concerns with NBL referees boss Scott Butler.
"It's just disappointing that Anthony Drmic is ejected for that and we have the situation in the series where (Hawks centre AJ) Ogilvy grabbed someone (Eric Jacobsen's leg, in the fourth quarter of game two)," Wright said.
"And it happened in Wollongong when Brendan Teys hit Rotnei (Clarke) and he got three points for it.
"I'm not going to talk to Butler about anything.
"Butler and those guys admitted their competence level on that call with Ogilvy and that they made a mistake.
"When we go fully pro, hopefully we won't see competence that will allow a call to be made like that."
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