We haven’t talked much about Popeye Jones this year, if only because most assistant coaches don’t get much shine or publicity. They’re usually in the background: scouting opponents, setting up game plans, doing the dirty work. But at one point during Monday night’s 90-82 Game 2 loss, Popeye Jones took it upon himself to take charge at a ref after a shot clock was incorrectly reset. The referee, presumably shocked that a man of Popeye Jones’s stature and ear width would respond so vehemently, assessed Jones with a technical foul, his first of the season.
Jones — whose full name, for the record, is Ronald Jerome Jones — was right to be upset: the referees claimed Wallace had possession by throwing the ball behind his back as he was flying out of bounds, which clearly wasn’t true, and the referees didn’t have to stand by since they don’t control the shot clock. Brooklyn’s fans, as you’ll hear in the video, responded with a similar ire.
After getting the technical, Popeye calmed down and returned to his seat on the bench, though the death stare was palpable:
