By Maybe he thought the referee didn’t know what this gesture meant?
An American athlete in South Korea’s professional basketball league has been expelled for raising his middle finger toward a referee at the championship series, the sport’s governing body said Friday.
The Korean Basketball League (KBL) said it has decided to expel Ivan Johnson, who plays with the Jeonju KCC Egis, for swearing and raising his middle finger at a referee after his team finished second in the final game of the championship series against Ulsan Mobis Phoebis on Sunday. [Yonhap]
Johnson averaged 17 points a game for Jeonju KCC Egis and scored 14 points in a 97-59 loss to Ulsan Mobis Phoebis in the Championship Game. He was obviously frustrated about getting blown out, but that is no excuse to be so rude to the referee.
4:53 am on April 16th, 2010 1
That's what they get when they brought this cat on board. What did they expect, professionalism?
5:59 am on April 16th, 2010 2
Way to represent! Makes someone? proud to be American!
6:39 am on April 16th, 2010 3
I would hate to imagine how they would react to an American professional hockey player's on court demeanor if that sport ever became big there.
6:45 am on April 16th, 2010 4
Or football player I should add. Throeing the finger would be mild compared to the gestures they would recieve from those playing the other two sports.
10:20 am on April 16th, 2010 5
A LISTENER ~ YOU'RE AN IDIOT! HOCKEY ISN'T ON A COURT, IT'S ON AN ICE RINK AND FYI-THERE IS PRO HOCKEY HERE.
10:39 am on April 16th, 2010 6
Ulsan Mobis Phoebis? What the hell does that even mean?
10:50 am on April 16th, 2010 7
Idiot
10:53 pm on April 16th, 2010 8
This is slightly off topic, but the old name of the Wonju team serves to prove that some things get lost in the translation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Basketball_Le…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo_%28racial_term…
11:39 am on April 17th, 2010 9
How does this compare to former Red Sox pitcher Kim Byung-Hyun flipping off an entire stadium full of fans?
12:53 pm on April 17th, 2010 10
Court, rink, field. Who cares.
12:54 pm on April 17th, 2010 11
And stop shouting, it makes you look like a drunk.
5:57 am on April 19th, 2010 12
He was being an idiot too.
I know that's ok to say about an American and not a Korean, but there it is.
8:34 pm on April 23rd, 2010 13
…proud to be American, fine, but for this?! THis is shameful!
10:31 am on May 7th, 2010 14
It's ok for the Korean because he said "Sorry, so sori!"