In case you didn’t know, Tim Duncan and referee Joey Crawford got into a small confrontation last season.

Yep, the last time NBA referee Joey Crawford and San Antonio Spurs superstar Tim Duncan were in the same court together, Crawford slapped Duncan with two technical fouls and challenged the seven-foot NBA world champion to a fist fight.

Crawford slapped Tim Duncan with a technical foul in their game against the Dallas Mavericks. Duncan, instead of getting all upset about it, just laughed while sitting on the Spurs bench. Crawford got irritated, slapped Duncan with a second technical foul and asked the Spurs forward if he wanted a fight.

”He looked at me and said, ‘Do you want to fight? Do you want to fight?”’ Tim Duncan said. ”If he wants to fight, we can fight. I don’t have any problem with him, but we can do it if he wants to. I have no reason why in the middle of a game he would yell at me, ‘Do you want to fight?”’

He he… Yep, baldy here actually wanted to lock fists with the towering… er… tower of the San Antonio Spurs. Of course, NBA commissioner David Stern wasn’t amused. He slapped Crawford with a five-month suspension that prevented the hot-headed NBA official from officiating in the NBA finals last June.

Heading to the 2007-08 NBA basketball season, NBA referee Joey Crawford has been reinstated in the NBA and will be eligible to officiate games again, yes, even San Antonio Spurs games.

”Based on my meeting with Joey Crawford, his commitment to an ongoing counseling program, and a favorable professional evaluation that was performed at my direction, I am satisfied that Joey understands the standards of game management and professionalism the NBA expects from him and that he will be able to conduct himself in accordance with those standards,” NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement.

Joey Crawford has worked more postseason games than any other active NBA referee. Something tells me that this guy will ask the commish for more games in San Antonio.

Want more odds? Visit OddsHQ for more basketball betting odds and the best betting lines on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

Joey Crawford Tim Duncan