http://nba.nbcsports.com/2015/11/24/rick-carlisle-and-gregg-popovich-rip-referees-union-statement-on-mike-budenholzer/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs







Mike Budenholzer fell on his sword after the National Basketball Referees Association criticized the Hawks coach’s light penalty for bumping a referee.
But two of Budenholzer’s peers are being more aggressive about the referees-union statement, which was attributed to NBRA General Counsel Lee Seham.
NBA Coaches Association president and Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, via ESPN:
“The NBA Coaches Association greatly values our working relationship with the league office and our officials,” NBA Coaches Association president Rick Carlisle, coach of the Dallas Mavericks, said in a statement. “For the record, our association would NEVER lobby for the suspension of an official for a situation like this one that has been thoroughly reviewed by the NBA and clearly determined to be incidental in nature. We view the unwarranted and reckless verbal attacks by Referee Union general counsel as grandstanding in nature, and beneath the dignity of the highly regarded group whose interests he claims to represent. The best interests of our great league lie far above what appears to be an obvious cheap and misguided attempt for a blast of short-term Twitter fame.”
Popovich, via Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News:
“I think it’s just a case of an anonymous suit trying to gain 15 minutes of stardom more than anything. It’s comical…A lot of people trying to get famous on Twitter. And I guess this particular suit is one of them.”
This seems like a coordinated attack, with both coaches strangely citing Twitter fame. If Seeham is trying to make a name for himself, I don’t see how he’s doing it more on Twitter than anywhere else.
Regardless of Seham’s motives, I don’t find his point so egregious. Referees should be like the third rail – never touched. Budenholzer deserved a one-game suspension.
That said, the statement contained plenty of grandstanding. No coach or player is more likely to physically harm a referee because Budenholzer wasn’t suspended.