When Tim Floyd heard late Monday night in Los Angeles that referee Greg Willard had accused him of making contact during an argument that led to his ejection, his anger and incredulity became palpable and his language coarse.
Apparently, Floyd also saved some venom for later.
The NBA, in announcing Floyd’s one-game suspension and $10,000 fine Tuesday, said Floyd confronted Willard near the Bulls’ team bus inside Staples Center after the game. Several witnesses said the exchange became heated–with officiating crew chief Dan Crawford stepping between the men at one point–although reports differ as to who initiated the escalation.
“I didn’t realize it was going to come to that,” said assistant Bill Berry, who coached the Bulls on Tuesday in Floyd’s absence. “It got heated. It didn’t last too long.”
Now seems like a pretty good time for an All-Star break, doesn’t it?
The Bulls limped into it with a just-suspended coach and a franchise-worst 16-game losing streak, courtesy of Tuesday’s 97-80 loss to Phoenix at America West Arena.
The league said assistant Phil Johnson also was fined $2,500 for confronting Willard. Willard was unavailable for comment. Both fines and the suspension were announced by Stu Jackson, the league’s senior vice president of basketball operations.
Reached at his hotel Tuesday evening, Floyd said he issued a statement that would be released by the team. Floyd was not allowed in the stadium for the game against Phoenix but watched it with owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
“I didn’t hold back,” Floyd said of the statement. “Everything you need is in there.”
But Sebrina Brewster, the Bulls’ manager of media services, said the hastily written statement would not be released, apparently because it was too blunt in its nature.
The incident occurred midway through the second quarter of Monday’s game against the Clippers. Darius Miles appeared to foul Marcus Fizer on a shot, and Floyd charged the court to receive one technical. As Willard stopped to signal the technical, Floyd’s momentum carried him into the referee and minor contact followed. That prompted the second technical and automatic ejection.
“To me, the contact was kind of like a block-charge situation,” Floyd said from his hotel. “I thought the contact was minor. The one [replay] I saw didn’t really even show any contact.”
Late Monday, Floyd became extremely agitated when told Willard ejected him for “making contact.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Floyd said outside the Bulls’ locker room in Los Angeles. “That’s absolutely ridiculous. I didn’t bump his [rear.] If I had bumped him, I would’ve knocked him down.”
Floyd insisted Tuesday that his initial outburst resulted merely from Willard’s non-call and not from the strain of a franchise record-setting losing streak.
“I don’t think the losing streak fit into it at all,” Berry said. “When Marcus got fouled, Tim went out on the floor. He knew he was going to get a technical. The other part I don’t think was intentional. It happened. But I didn’t feel it was a culmination of frustration at all. It was almost an accident. The first technical he wanted. And that was fine. The second one it just looked like he brushed him.”
Guard Ron Mercer went a step further, saying Floyd merely reacted to what is an ongoing issue and problem for the Bulls.
“It’s a known fact that if you’re not one of the good teams in this league, you’re not going to get the calls other teams are going to get,” Mercer said. “That’s been going on all year. I don’t blame Tim for going out there. Somebody should have done it. And he did it. He said enough is enough.”
And now enough is enough for the Bulls. The All-Star break comes at a dire and necessary time.
“Certainly Tim’s suspension is on the back of people’s minds, but we have a job to do and players and coaches have to be professional about it,” Berry said. “We’re going to miss him. He’s a real important cog. But I talked to him after I heard about the suspension and I asked him if he wanted anything special. He said I knew what to do and to just go ahead and do it.”
