Hawks’ Mike Budenholzer apologizes, fined $25k for bumping into ref
Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer has been fined $25,000 for “making incidental contact” with a referee during his team’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, the league announced Monday.
Budenholzer was ejected for a technical foul with over six minutes remaining in the second quarter after bumping into an official.
The Hawks coach and president of basketball operations released a statement on Monday apologizing for his actions.
“With the league’s permission, I have reached out to and apologized to Ben Taylor for what happened in the game versus Cleveland. Ben is an excellent young referee who is a valuable member of the NBA family,” Budenholzer said. “We all understand that any contact—including incidental contact—with an official is unacceptable. I accept the NBA’s fine and look forward to putting this situation in the past.”
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The coach was visibly upset on Saturday after no call was made when guard Justin Holiday was hit in the face. Budenholzer then approached one of the referees, taking a few steps onto the court causing a small collision.
“I was very close to him. That seems like that could be the reason why he threw me out after just a single technical. If there was any contact, it would be totally unintentional,” Budenholzer said after the game.
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Typically, contact with an official results in suspension, but due to the small nature of the occurrence, Budenholzer was not punished beyond the fine.
- Xandria James
