Adelaide 36ers coach Trevor Gleeson has taken another swipe at the NBL's refereeing after receiving his second technical foul in a month, this time for gesturing with his hands.
Gleeson was left "bamboozled" after being whistled early in the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 108-101 win over the New Zealand Breakers at Auckland's Spark Arena on Friday night.
Former 36er Dejan Vasiljevic hit the technical free throw, which gave NZ the lead, before Bryce Cotton went to work with a series of clutch baskets to rescue the visitors.
Gleeson insists he was penalised for moving his hands and he was ready to tell the world as soon as he sat down for his post-match press conference, opening the dialogue before fielding his first question from reporters.
"I'm going to bring up the tech foul," he said up front.
"I don't know if you want to ask the question but I'm certainly going to be bringing it up."
When Gleeson was then asked specifically about it, he didn't hold back.
"I'm bamboozled," he said.
"I got the technical foul for using my arms.
"I didn't say a swear, I didn't go mad at the official or be disrespectful - I was using my arms.
"If you're going to take the passion away from the game, I'm going to get a technical foul every week.
"That's just ridiculous."
In round four against Melbourne United, Gleeson was talking to referee Andrew Goodman when fellow official James Griguol whistled a technical foul from the opposite corner of the court.
Gleeson says it feels like he is being persecuted since his return to the league after previously having a reputation for fiery ref-baiting during his time coaching the Perth Wildcats to five titles.
"That's a really good question, and of course they're going to deny it, but it feels like that for me - it really does," he said when asked if he believes he is being targeted.
"I got a technical foul a couple of weeks ago from a guy 50 feet away, unless he's got bionic ears ... and I still wasn't disrespecting him.
"Then I put my hands out and I get targeted again.
"I'll ring (NBL referees' boss) Scott Butler again and he'll play the straight cricket bat and say, 'no, we're not', but it certainly does feel like the referees are doing that.
"You've got coaches and assistant coaches walking on the court and there's no technical foul, but I put my hands up and I get a technical foul.
"If they want to take the passion away from the game, I'm going to have to go to my boss to ask for a pay rise to pay all these fines I'm getting."
"I'm going to get one every week because that's the way I coach."
