BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Xinjiang Flying Tigers guard Zhao Rui has been banned five matches for shoving an official during a recent Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) match, the league's governing body announced on Thursday.
With 5:03 remaining in the first quarter of Wednesday's game against the Shandong Heroes, Zhao fell down while making a fast-break layup. After getting up, an incensed Zhao rebuked the official for a non-call, and was called for a technical foul.
Unhappy with the decision, Zhao then moved towards and nudged the official before being ejected. When leaving the court, Zhao continued to point at and verbally abuse the official. Xinjiang ultimately fell 107-111 to Shandong, suffering its first home defeat of the season.
In addition to his suspension, Zhao was also fined 100,000 yuan (13,700 U.S. dollars).
Zhao, who joined Xinjiang in the 2023-24 season, has averaged 9.6 points and 4.6 assists in 14 appearances this season.
Zhao subsequently took to social media to apologize for his actions.
"As a professional basketball player, I'm responsible for representing the image of the team, league and Chinese basketball. But at that moment, I didn't undertake my responsibilities, which I feel deeply guilty and self-reproachful about," he wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
"I respect and accept the punishment, and express my apology by taking real action," Zhao added.
As it was not the first time that Xinjiang players had violated CBA rules this season, the team's head coach Liu Wei was also fined 20,000 yuan.
Xinjiang sits sixth in the 20-team CBA league with a win-loss record of 18-6. ■