Coby White comments on controversial technical foul called on DeMar DeRozan for flopping

"I don't understand how it could be a foul and a flop."

© David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday, controversy ensued late in the fourth quarter of the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets. The Rockets were hot on the comeback trail and were within three, 112-109, with 42 seconds to go when the referees blew their whistle, calling a loose ball foul on Jalen Green for pushing DeMar DeRozan on the rebounding scramble.

However, that wasn’t the only infraction the referees called, as they slapped a technical foul on DeRozan for flopping, much to the chagrin of Bulls coach Billy Donovan.

“If it’s a foul, it can’t be a flop!”

Billy Donovan was NOT happy after DeMar DeRozan was hit with a flopping technical foul 😅pic.twitter.com/u3hglMwxAB

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 11, 2024

Coby plays it safe

Rather than rip the referees, Bulls guard Coby White—who led the Bulls with 30 points and eight assists—laughed off the incident, saying he does not know better than the game officials.

“Nah bro, I don’t know the rules. I just hoop, bro,” White said with a laugh.

However, White was flustered with the call that allowed the Rockets to pull to within two, 112-100, and eventually tie the game later on to send the game to overtime.

“I don’t understand how it could be a foul and a flop, but that’s above my pay grade,” White added.

STEM movements

In September 2023, the NBA announced a new initiative to curb flopping and enhance the quality of the league’s gameplay. According to Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s head of referee development and training, they wanted to rid games of over-the-top movements that make the players and officials look bad.

“We want to get rid of the egregious, overt, over-the-top examples in which NBA players look bad, which have the chance to make NBA refereeing look bad, and which are just bad for the game,” McCutchen said.

The Bulls went on to win, 124-119, which was all that mattered to White.

“I don’t work in that field. The refs do the best job they can every single night. We won, so at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”

Coby White on whether he understood the technical flopping foul called on DeMar DeRozan at the end of regulation: “Nah bro I don’t know the rules. I just hoop.” pic.twitter.com/T2qtKeeezh

— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) January 11, 2024

Chicago Bulls overcome the Houston Rockets in overtime for third straight win