Lawsuit over a Tweet? NBA Referee Sues Reporter

Sending sports news out by Twitter is becoming the norm for many reporters on that beat. But Jon Krawczynski, of the Associated Press, is learning that court side tweeting the latest call by a NBA referee can get you in trouble. While tweeting lets you, the reporter, deliver real time news, is it worth tangling yourself up in a defamation lawsuit?

The incident took place back in January at a NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets. Veteran referee, Bill Spooner, called foul on a Timberwolve player and the coach, Kurt Rambis, was not happy. Spooner says he told Rambis he would review the call at halftime but the coach really wanted those two points back. Spooner claims he never responded to Rambis's question on how to get his points back but Krawczynski says otherwise. The reporter, who is the beat reporter for the Timberwolves, tweeted that Spooner "told Rambis he could 'get it back' after a bad call. Then he made an even worse call on Rockets. That's NBA officiating folks."

Spooner is suing Krawczynski for $75,000 and an apology. He is also suing the AP, according a WSJ story. The complaint was filed with the Minnesota Federal Court on Monday. The NBA has advised the referee not to sue; and said it found no merit to the claim.

The question is will we, meaning journalists, see more lawsuits over what reporters put out on Twitter?

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