Ben Gordon Apologizes for Insulting Referee, Frustrated by Loss to Mavericks

Ben Gordon Apologizes for Insulting Referee, Frustrated by Loss to Mavericks

At last Orlando Magic’s guard, Ben Gordon has swallowed his pride and sought apology from a referee that he offended on Saturday during their clash with Dallas. It seems the guard took some time to analyze his conduct during the game and realized that he went way too far.

Some NBA players are notorious for hurling insults at officials and the worst is that they don’t feel like they should apologize. By apologizing, Gordon has proved that he is one in a million.

As a matter of fact, Gordon had every right to be mad on Saturday night. This is because the referee watched as Dallas guard, Monta Ellis whacked Gordon in an attempt to make him drop the ball. What angered the Magic guard the most was that the referee did not blow the whistle.

The problem is that Gordon turned his wrath to the referee Kane Fitzgerald and uttered some words that can not be published. Gordon is usually very humble and does not say much but he argued that he just went overboard when the referee seemed to be unfair to him. His conduct caused him to be sent of the court.

“I was just frustrated – not just from that foul, but also how the game was going,’’ said Gordon, referring to the Magic falling behind by as much as 27 points before mounting a huge second-half rally. “I definitely overreacted and I probably owe that ref an apology. That wasn’t like me and it was out of frustration.’’

Once Gordon was benched, the magicians were outnumbered by Dallas and hence lost the game 108-93. Gordon stated that he could not stand being defeated on their home court and perhaps that is what caused him to insult the referee.

“Us getting beat really bad on our home floor, things like that (frustrated him). I just wish I could have stayed n the game so that I could have given my team a better chance to win,’’ said Gordon, who is averaging 6.6 points a game while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 38 percent from 3-point range. “It’s just one of those things that happens when you are competing. I wish I could take it back.’’

In other news, head coach Jacque Vaughn has been shown the door by the Magic management and his place taken by his former assistant, James Borrego. The sacking was seen as the only solution to terminating the team’s loosing spree.

As a matter of fact, Magic have lost ten games in a row and they therefore had to act fast to address the problem. The new head coach has been appointed to serve in an acting capacity until another coach is hired. This means that the team is already looking for another trainer. Borrego has been an assistant coach for the last two seasons.

Borrego and Vaughn had been friends long before they joined Magic. In fact, it’s Vaughn who recommended Borrego as his preferred assistant when he was signed by Magic in 2012. Back then, Borrego was working in Hornets.

Upon learning about Vaughn’s sacking, Borrego stated that their friendship will not be affected by the new turn of events. He actually argued that he has always regarded Vaughn as part of his family and had his interests at heart.

“We’re in the same family, and this is like having a separation in your family,’’ said Borrego, who was informed by Magic GM Rob Hennigan on Thursday of Vaughn’s firing and his promotion. “That’s not going to change for Jacque and I. What we have and share goes beyond basketball and we’ll continue to build on our friendship.

“There were a wealth of emotions, but the biggest was the sadness and disappointment of losing my head coach,’’ Borrego continued. “That’s immediately where I went. The last hour or so I’ve had to wrap my hands around the idea of leading this group. But the initial reaction was emotional with a lot of disappointment and sadness.’’