"I didn't try to collar him," Gibson said. "I just fouled him. It wasn't intentionally. "I just tried to make a play on the ball, but I fouled him. When he fell, it looked like I collared him. I was really trying to grab him, just not hold him up. Nobody was intentionally trying to hurt anybody out there. When he said those comments, I was really shocked. But it's part of the game, I guess."
James singled out Gibson and Hinrich, who wrapped him up on a drive to the basket in the first quarter.
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, speaking on WEEI Radio on Thursday, disagreed. "I think the referees got the calls right. I don't think it was a hard foul," Ainge said. "I think the one involving LeBron against Carlos Boozer [in which LeBron lowered his shoulder into the Bulls' forward 10 seconds after Gibson's foul), that was flagrant. I think the officials got it right.
"I think that it's almost embarrassing that LeBron would complain about officiating."