Round eight of the NBL saw several ongoing storylines take another controversial turn, with players and coaches continuing to clash with the league’s officials, while the court decal issue refuses to go away.
Meanwhile, do the South East Melbourne Phoenix have a decision to make regarding one of their imports?
All this and more on NBL Daily.
‘THE LEAGUE SENDS US CHRIS REID’
Illawarra Hawks head coach Justin Tatum led the charge in Round 8, specifically calling out referee Chris Reid following an on-court altercation in his side’s loss to the Adelaide 36ers, while Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde added another layer to the league’s ongoing officiating controversy.
Just days earlier, Melbourne United star guard Cole Anthony was sanctioned for comments directed towards officials on camera, with the 26-year-old fined by Basketball Australia.
Frustration among players and coaches appears to be reaching boiling point, and whether their complaints are justified or not, tensions surrounding officiating are becoming increasingly difficult for the league to ignore.
For Tatum, personally naming Reid could land him in hot water after the Hawks coach questioned the decision to eject his big man, Makur Maker.
Tatum fumes after Hawks loss | 01:32
“It was unfortunate. It’s unfortunate what the result was,” he said.
“What it seemed like for us is every time we find a way to get momentum and the lead or momentum and were playing well, the league sends us Chris Reid,
“and we find a way not to have him as much as we can but at the end of the day we’ve still got to play through it. But I felt like really it was unfortunate to a point where (Maker) shouldn’t have been kicked out.”
Tatum is no stranger to publicly criticising officials.
Back in October 2024, the Hawks coach was fined $3,000 by Basketball Australia for comments made during his post-match press conference, where he labelled the referees “incompetent”.
“The fans pay money and want to come and see the players, not some incompetent referees that let their feelings at that time dictate the game,” Tatum said following the Hawks’ 92-87 loss to Melbourne United on October 24, 2024.
Fast forward to 2025, and Tatum found himself in hot water once again when the Illawarra Hawks were fined $7,500 by the NBL after their coach breached the league’s code of conduct following their Game 3 finals loss to Melbourne United in NBL25.
Tatum criticised the officiating after referees failed to stop play when Trey Kell suffered an injury, suggesting Melbourne had received preferential treatment.
“At the end of the day, that’s just the difference of respect I guess between Melbourne and the Hawks,” Tatum said.
Interestingly, Reid, the official at the centre of Tatum’s latest comments, has found himself in a similar situation before.
‘No way’: Coach fumes as star ejected after ‘out of hand’ scuffle
Back in April 2022, former Sydney Kings head coach Chase Buford was handed a $10,000 fine and a one-game suspension following comments made after an 87-84 loss to the Illawarra Hawks.
Speaking after the three-point defeat, Buford said: “I just hope we don’t have Chris (Reid)” in charge of their upcoming playoff game.
Buford later apologised following public criticism, including from current Sydney Kings head coach Brian Goorjian, who was coaching Illawarra at the time and described Buford’s comments as “an immature thing to do”.
Buford subsequently acknowledged Goorjian’s criticism and admitted his own behaviour had been unacceptable.
Cairns coach’s fiery referee blow-up steals show as Hawks’ revival gathers pace
“I understand if (Goorjian) didn’t respect the way I acted the other day … I didn’t respect the way (I behaved),” he said.
“I’ve got to find a way to not get into a personal battle with officials or anyone else and just focus on our team.
“(It’s) another growth moment for me.”
Meanwhile, Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde joined the growing list of frustrated coaches following his side’s 107-95 loss to the Illawarra Hawks.
Forde received a first-quarter technical foul before using his halftime interview with courtside commentator Ariana Prather to voice his frustrations with the officiating.
While Forde’s comments are not expected to result in a fine, they add to an increasingly familiar storyline across the league.
For now, the growing frustration surrounding officiating looks set to remain a major talking point as the NBL season continues.
DECALS STRIKE AGAIN
Round eight featured two more court decal incidents, adding to the growing number of players who have slipped on the league’s on-court advertising this season.
Illawarra Hawks forward Wani Swaka Lo Buluk appeared to slip on a decal during his side’s loss to the 36ers, while Melbourne United star Cole Anthony also lost his footing in an incident that resulted in a turnover.
However, NBL commentator Damon Lowery suggested Anthony’s slip was not necessarily caused by the decal.
“He goes so fast,” Lowery said.
“When you try and go and stop on a dime, that can be quite common. But I know what everyone is going to try and say … I’m not saying it”
The two incidents add to a growing list of players who have experienced similar slips this season, including Reyne Smith (Cairns Taipans), Dylan Windler (Perth Wildcats) and Nate Hinton (Brisbane Bullets).
The Australian Basketball Players’ Association (ABPA) has yet to release an official statement on the latest incidents, although the issue is certainly familiar territory for the organisation.
Back in 2021, the ABPA met with the league to discuss player safety concerns surrounding court decals after former NBL star Andrew Bogut publicly voiced his frustrations on social media.
The time has come NBL – remove the decals, no ifs ands or buts,” Bogut said.
“Remove them, before someone has a very serious injury. Sponsors will understand.
“Speaking for the players of the NBL – many of whom have spoken to me privately about their concerns. (some are okay to chat about it publicly, some are not) Ticking time bomb..”
At the time, the association released a statement outlining its concerns and calling for urgent action.
“The ABPA has again raised significant concerns with the NBL about the safety of the league’s court decals, and despite the NBL’s initial response, the problem has not been resolved,” Holmes said.
“Over the past 48 hours the ABPA has been meeting with delegates from all nine teams as well as the league regarding a solution as a matter of urgency.
“The league will be implementing further actions and measures based on the direct feedback of players, and the ABPA will be monitoring the outcomes closely.
“It is critical that NBL players are provided with a safe workplace, and dealing with this issue is a top priority.”
Five years later, the league and the ABPA find themselves facing a familiar problem, with further discussions potentially on the cards should the incidents continue.
Last week, Fox Sports Australia conducted an anonymous player poll involving active NBL players, asking whether they believed the league had a court decal issue.
Of the more than 30 players who responded, 72% voted ‘Yes’.
With further incidents occurring in Round 8, the question remains whether the league will need to take additional action to address the concerns.
‘NEED HIM TO PLAY BETTER’
Following their second consecutive loss, South East Melbourne Phoenix head coach Josh King addressed the struggles of import Skylar Mays, who has found it difficult to establish any consistent rhythm since arriving in the NBL.
King acknowledged the pressure that comes with playing professional basketball, admitting that nobody, including himself, is guaranteed their position in a results-driven industry.
“I think everybody knows everybody is replaceable, including myself, this is professional sports,” he said.
“So it’s a performance-based business that we’re in at the end of the day.
“He is a capable basketball player. We just need him to play better”
The Phoenix are no strangers to making changes to their roster.
Last season alone, the club released import Vrenz Bleijenbergh before the campaign even began, followed by Hunter Maldonado, who played 13 games before being released and subsequently joining the Brisbane Bullets for the remainder of the season.
For Mays, the talent is clearly there, and his basketball resumé speaks for itself. However, the numbers suggest there is a deeper issue surrounding his fit within the Phoenix system.
Mays currently has a team-worst on/off differential of -137, with South East Melbourne being outscored by 61 points when he is on the court, compared to outscoring opponents by 76 points when he is on the bench.
While on/off statistics do not tell the entire story or place the responsibility on one individual, the numbers are difficult to ignore.
Across his past three games, Mays has averaged just 4.6 points on 4-of-18 shooting (22.2%), although he has shown flashes of his ability, including a season-best 20-point performance against Brisbane last month.
For King, the challenge is finding a role that allows Mays to thrive alongside his teammates, something that has proven easier said than done.
Mays has come off the bench in each of his past four games, and with Nathan Sobey also being a ball-dominant guard, finding the right balance between the two remains an ongoing challenge.
Both guards have the ability to make a significant impact offensively, but finding a formula that allows them to consistently produce together will be a priority for the Phoenix moving forward.
With South East Melbourne looking to get their season back on track, the question now is whether Mays can rediscover his form or if the club will eventually be forced to consider another roster change.