This season, the CBA court has seen many controversial refereeing decisions and numerous player fines. Du Runwang was suspended for five games, and Qi Lin was also suspended for three games. Just as Qi Lin returned to play, another incident occurred with the Xinjiang men's basketball team, involving Zhao Rui.
During a home game against the Shandong men's basketball team, Zhao Rui first angrily scolded the referee and then directly collided with the referee. As a result, he was first penalized with a technical foul and ultimately ejected from the game. The CBA officially announced that Zhao Rui would be suspended for five games and fined 100,000 yuan, while Xinjiang men's basketball head coach Liu Wei was fined 20,000 yuan.
In the past, when Zhao Rui played for Guangdong Hongyuan, he was prone to losing his temper, especially when arguing with referees, which often led to disadvantages. After joining the Xinjiang men's basketball team, Zhao Rui's playing time was limited due to injury issues, but there were no conflicts with referees this season.
The catalyst for this incident was still the referee. When Zhao Rui was fouled during a counterattack, the referee ignored it, causing Zhao Rui to explode. He first pointed at the referee and scolded them, resulting in an immediate technical foul. Zhao Rui even went so far as to collide with the referee, after which he was also ejected from the game.
Xinjiang men's basketball team is relatively protective of Zhao Rui. After the game, Liu Wei expressed dissatisfaction with the referees, believing that although Zhao Rui had problems, the catalyst was the referees.
However, Zhao Rui's drama extended beyond the court, as he directly responded to the teams that mocked him, using somewhat sensitive language.
Since joining the Xinjiang men's basketball team, Zhao Rui has faced external doubts. On one hand, he has been plagued by injuries and has rarely played for extended periods. On the other hand, there is Zhao Rui's temperament, as he seems to have become a spoiled player on the team.
Currently, Xinjiang men's basketball team is already short-staffed. With Zhao Rui's suspension, the team's guard line has returned to a situation where only two players, Xi Erzati and Yili Fulate, are available. In the crucial fourth quarter, the big foreign aid Lawson dares not play, and the states of Peterson and Hagens fluctuate greatly. It is hoped that Zhao Rui can learn from this experience; otherwise, if he continues like this, it may not just be a matter of being suspended for a few games.