On January 1st, Beijing time, a shocking moment occurred in the CBA when Zhao Rui pushed the referee from behind, unable to contain himself. We've seen players fight each other before, but we've never seen a player directly attack the referee. What was Zhao Rui trying to do?
During the match between Xinjiang and Shandong, Zhao Rui was ejected after only 3 minutes and 33 seconds on the court, with a record of 2 points, 2 turnovers, and 2 fouls. Why did this happen? It's because he actually took action against the referee, pushing him hard, which was so exaggerated that even the commentators were stunned. What was going on?
We've seen players from both sides fight before, but we've never seen a player start attacking the referee. Zhao Rui made such a move in this game. After breaking through and scoring a layup, he was very dissatisfied with the referee's decision not to call a foul. He pointed at the referee and complained, immediately receiving a technical foul. Zhao Rui then dramatically rushed from behind and pushed the referee hard, an action that was truly outrageous.
We've considered Zhao Rui's impulsive temperament; his layup might have indeed been a 2+1, but the referee didn't award it, and it's normal for him to complain a bit. However, after the referee gave him a technical foul, Zhao Rui exploded on the spot. After receiving the technical foul, Zhao Rui pushed the referee hard on the shoulder, sending him back a meter. He almost hit the advertising boards at the side of the court.
It's possible that some referees' standards are indeed lower, but if they don't blow the whistle, they don't blow the whistle. There will occasionally be some mistaken judgments, so why get so angry? Immediately after Zhao Rui got up, he pointed at the referee and cursed, having already received a technical foul. Then he actually became agitated and rushed over to push the referee. With such an action, it was impossible for him not to be ejected, and the referee had no choice but to eject him. This action was too frightening.
After Zhao Rui pushed the referee, the commentator couldn't believe that a CBA player would dare to do such a thing. If it weren't for the proximity to Xinjiang's bench, Coach Liu Wei and the coaching staff would have come over to restrain Zhao Rui and push him away, which would have been a terrifying scene. You've already received a technical foul for pointing at the referee and cursing, so you should just calm down a bit. Some referees' standards are indeed lower, but there's nothing we can do about it. If everyone acted like him, receiving a technical foul and then attacking the referee, the referees wouldn't be able to blow their whistles anymore.
This should be the most serious action since the start of the new season, much more serious than any on-court brawls. As a result, he is definitely going to face additional penalties. Not only that, but even after being restrained, Zhao Rui still pointed at the referee and cursed three more times, which is really provoking the entire CBA company.