The Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul claims his referee comments were about 'a bad call'

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul claimed his comments to female referee Lauren Holtkamp were "about a bad call" and had nothing to do with her gender.

During the Clippers 105-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, Paul was given a technical foul for dissent towards Holtkamp.

Paul claimed after the game that Holtkamp had denied him the chance to inbound the ball quickly by saying "uh-uh" and when he asked "why, uh-uh?" she gave him a technical foul.

The 29-year-old point guard then argued that refereeing in the NBA "might not be for her", seemingly referring to Holtkamp's status as a first-year official.

Some of the commentary on the incident claimed Paul had been sexist but, speaking on Friday, while Paul did not got into any depth about the issue - he did stick to his claim that he had only criticised Holtkamp because he did not agree with the technical foul.

"Last night was about a bad call," told a media conference three times on Friday.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers was a little more vocal when he was asked about his player's comments.

"I didn't like it," Rivers said.

"I didn't like that part of it. But I don't think he meant it in the way I think it's being [discussed]. I just think he was upset at the technical.

"I don't think the technical was warranted either, to be honest. But that's not a gender issue. That's just an issue that you disagree with the tech.

"It probably should have been left that way. But knowing Chris, I think that's what he meant more. I don't think he meant that it was a gender issue at all."

Rivers was not the only person, who spoke out in support of Paul.

Michele Roberts, executive director of the NBA Players Association, released a strongly worded statement.

"Any suggestion that Chris Paul would ever conduct himself in a disrespectful manner towards women is utterly ridiculous, outrageous and patently false," Roberts said.

"His personal management team, which includes several accomplished women who play a major role in virtually all of his business affairs, is, alone, evidence of that fact."