Jason Kidd got suspended for one game after he aggressively swiped the ball away from a referee during Wednesday's game of Milwaukee Bucks against Sacramento Kings.
USA Today reported that the incident took place in the latter part of the fourth quarter of the Bucks' 129-118 loss. It is the team's sixth loss in their past eight games. The Milwaukee Bucks coach reportedly was unhappy with the officiating in the game, and so he crossed half-court and onto the floor to get a timeout. And then as he walked near referee Zach Zarba, he knocked the ball out of referee's hand. ESPN said Kidd had to be restrained and then he was escorted to the locker room.
"I walked all the way down to get a timeout, and then we had our discussion. He gave me the T," Kidd said. "From there, I'm trying to protect my guys - understanding we felt we were getting fouled and the whistle wasn't being blown. What happens in this league, you have to stand up for yourself, and my job is to protect those young guys."
According to NBA, as per ESPN report, Kidd missed Friday's game against Magic, as he served his suspension without pay. Bucks loss against Magic at 114-90.
The incident came just a few days after Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks coach, stepped onto the court and bumped into referee Ben Taylor during a game. National Basketball Referees Association was not happy that Budenholzer was not suspended for that, instead NBA only fined him $25,000.
A statement from NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe said in a statement that Kidd was suspended, "aggressively pursuing and confronting a game official, slapping the ball out of his hands and not leaving the court in a timely manner upon his ejection."
