NBA ref sues AP, sportswriter over tweet

Many pro athletes have landed in hot water with provocative Twitter posts in recent months, but this week has brought an unusual new front in the social media wars:

An NBA referee has filed a defamation suit in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis against a reporter for something he reported on the site last month.

The disputed tweet referred to veteran ref Bill Spooner and was posted by The Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski during a Jan. 24 Timberwolves-Rockets game.

After Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis disputed a foul call on forward Anthony Tolliver, he asked Spooner how he would get the points back.

Krawczynski wrote: "Ref Bill Spooner told Rambis he'd 'get it back' after a bad call. Then he made an even worse call on Rockets. That's NBA officiating, folks."

The suit asserts Spooner never said anything of the sort to Rambis.

Spooner alleges the accusation was defamatory and is seeking $75,000 in damages.

"We believe all of the facts we reported from the game in question were accurate,'' AP associate general counsel Dave Tomlin said in a statement.

Tim Frank, the NBA's senior vice president for basketball communications, said the league investigated the tweet and "found it to be without substance, and informed Mr. Spooner that we considered the matter closed."

Frank said the NBA also advised Spooner's attorney that the league didn't think suing a journalist for posting a tweet it deemed incorrect would be productive.