Bucks G League coach suspended two games for epic rant against 'f---ing clown' official
Chase Buford, head coach of the NBA G League’s Wisconsin Herd, has been suspended two games after a postgame rant lambasting officials, including one by name.
The comments were preceded by an embarrassing loss for the Herd in which the team blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter against the Grand Rapids Drive. The game ended with a 126-117 Drive win, and saw Buford ejected in the final minutes for multiple technical fouls.
In a rant that would put nearly any coach in the NBA to shame, a disheveled Buford called head official Matt Rafferty a “f---ing clown” and called the officials biased and unprofessional.
Early candidate for coaching rant of the year! Wisconsin Herd Head Coach Chase Buford after his team saw a 21-point lead disappear in the 4th quarter vs. Grand Rapids. And because he asked: @nbagleague pic.twitter.com/cw5t1lMSKI
— Ryan Rodig (@ryanrodigwfrv) February 24, 2020
Just for fun, here’s what Buford’s hair looked like during the game:
It’s safe to say that something transpired between those two points.
Buford’s comments transcribed:
The officiating definitely went right for Grand Rapids. That was as unprofessional as an officiating performance — I hope you tweet this out and tag the league, because that was embarrassing. Matt Rafferty is a f---ing clown. That being said, we have to be so much better at the end of games. We can’t blow a 21-point lead with 12 minutes to go, however bad and biased and unfair and illegal and cheating the referees are, we have to be better closing games.
The 31-year-old Buford, the son of San Antonio Spurs CEO R.C. Buford, is in his first season coaching the Herd after assistant stints with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers) and Erie BayHawks (New Orleans Pelicans). He played college basketball at Kansas as a walk-on from 2007 to 2010.
Hours after video of Buford’s comments were posted, the Herd announced discipline was coming for the coach.
— Wisconsin Herd (@WisconsinHerd) February 24, 2020
The team also released an apology from Buford, saying he was embarrassed and calling the matter a “tough learning experience.”
— Wisconsin Herd (@WisconsinHerd) February 24, 2020
At least the Herd’s parent team had a pretty good night.
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