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[MavKikiNYC]

Sonics Forward Fortson Suspended One Game

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 10, 2005
Filed at 7:36 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- Seattle SuperSonics forward Danny Fortson was suspended for one game by the NBA on Saturday for verbally abusing an official and not leaving the court in a timely manner following an ejection.
Fortson was ejected in the fourth quarter of Friday's 106-91 win over Utah. He had to be restrained by teammate Ray Allen, coach Bob Weiss and assistant Jack Sikma after receiving his second technical foul.

Fortson, who also knocked over a water cooler while leaving the court, was to miss Saturday's game against Sacramento.

[mary]

Fortson Blasts NBA Referees
13th December, 2005 - 3:41 am

Seattle Post-Intelligencer - His latest ejection and suspension burns deeply and hurts more than in the past. Three months from his 30th birthday, Danny Fortson sees his career decaying slowly, marred by flagrant fouls and technical fouls.

In his first public statements since his one-game suspension for failure to leave the court in a timely manner during Friday's game against the Utah Jazz , Fortson went on a tirade that summed up his increasing frustration with the league and its officials.

Fortson was tossed after official Mike Callahan called him for a technical in the first half and then a second with 9:10 left in the game following a Fortson elbow to Jarron Collins' head. It was Fortson's fifth technical foul this season and second ejection.

Fortson said he is being singled out by oversensitive officials who make him a scapegoat for the league's physical style.

"They want me to be physical. Kind of like make up your mind. Am I here to play basketball, set screens, do the things necessary to win," he said. "Technicals? Ejections? And the fines? I don't agree with it one bit. As a matter of fact, I am going to fight it. I don't deserve to get thrown out of the games all the time. It's wrong. I think I am being singled out. It's unfair."

"There are a lot of old referees that they should probably re-evaluate," he said. "Everyone sees the same thing that I see. I'm not as crazy as everyone makes me out to be. Clearly, things are set against me, as simple as that. It's hard to come out here and play every day and you've got some old man that's bitter about something who wants to take it out on you. I don't know if he had a bad day during the day, whatever it is, they're just all bitter."

[EricaLubarsky]

Can you say BPD (borderline personality disorder)?