Zion Williamson

Griffin believes that lax officiating resulted in Zion Williamson's injury.

NEW YORK (AP) The NBA fined New Orleans Pelicans executive David Griffin $50,000 on Sunday for publicly criticizing officiating and making comments the league considered detrimental. The decision came two days after Griffin, the Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations, spoke out strongly about his concerns over the amount of contact NBA referees allow New Orleans forward Zion Williamson to endure. Griffin said the Pelicans have told league officials many times that they feared Williamson was being exposed to injury because of the way defenders are allowed to play against the 6-foot-7, 284-pound standout.

Griffin blamed NBA referees for Williamson's fractured left ring finger

Pelicans lead executive David Griffin went off on how Zion Williamson is refereed in the aftermath of the star's finger injury.

NBA punishes VP David Griffin for suggesting that referees haven't been paying attention as Pelicans star is "mauled in the paint on a regular basis."