Bucks coach Jason Kidd ejected for slapping ball out of ref’s hands
NBA referees do not like to have their personal space invaded by coaches and players. That became perfectly obvious earlier this week, when the National Basketball Referee’s Association criticized the NBA for punishing Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer with a $25,000 fine but no suspension for making contact with an official. The substance of that complaint has been a matter of contention, but the statement itself was a clear declaration of purpose.
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The referees’ union now has another incident to watch after Wednesday’s game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. With the visiting Kings up 120-109 at the 1:49 of the fourth quarter, Bucks head coach Jason Kidd attempted to call a timeout before an inbounds pass from O.J. Mayo on the other side of the floor. Kidd apparently had some trouble getting the officials’ attention, because he ran over to the opposite sideline. Something happened as he walked back with referee Zach Zarba, though, because Kidd straight-up slapped the ball out of his hands.
You can probably guess that he was ejected. Take a look:
That’s the kind of technique you expect from the man who ranks second on the NBA’s all-time steals leader board.
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Kidd tried to explain himself in a post-game statement:
His comments clarify his thought process, although not necessarily the extent of his actions. It’s also not the first time that Kidd has acted rashly on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving:
That’s a reference to the time Kidd had one of his players bump him to spill a drink on the floor during a key moment in his first month as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Kidd earned a $50,000 fine for that incident. He can probably expect a fine and suspension this time.
There were also reports of an altercation between two players in the tunnel after the game:
However, Kings TV play-by-play announcer Grant Napear disputed the most extreme interpretation of that report:
Incidentally, the Kings won 129-118 to capture their first victory in six tries without DeMarcus Cousins in the lineup. Rudy Gay led the way with 36 points on 13-of-21 shooting, but their three available bench players (Omri Casspi, Darren Collison, and Marco Belinelli) made a big difference with 54 points on 16-of-29 from the field.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
