NBL Integrity Unit looking at Justin Tatum’s tense clash with referee of the year

The NBL’s Integrity Unit is looking into a tense exchange between Illawarra coach Justin Tatum and one of the game’s leading referees. Watch the incident here.

A tense verbal exchange between Illawarra Hawks coach Justin Tatum and the NBL’s referee of the year Vaughan Mayberry has caught the eye of the league’s Integrity Unit.

Tatum and Mayberry came together during the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ blowout win over the Phoenix on Wednesday night.

In what should have been a banal final minute, tensions flared as Hawks reserve Dan Grida was ejected after he chased down and hammered Phoenix forward Joe Wieskamp as he attempted a lay-up. Grida then stood over the American, taunting him.

Young Phoenix guard Owen Foxwell took exception and rushed in to remonstrate with Grida.

The replay centre assessed Grida with an unsportsmanlike foul for the act and a technical foul for taunting.

Hawks head coach Justin Tatum has been caught on camera in a tense exchange with a leading NBL referee. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images.

The referees initially considered a technical foul on Foxwell but that did not eventuate after the review, leaving Tatum incensed.

“James, you said he was getting a tech,” Tatum shouted at referee James Griguol from the sideline.

Mayberry then replied and Tatum shouted: “Nobody’s talking to you Vaughan, you don’t like my kind”, which could be heard on the NBL’s broadcast.

The Hawks coach continued to rant at the referees and was then slapped with a technical foul of his own.

It’s not the first time Tatum has been in hot water over comments directed at the referees this season.

In October, he copped a $3000 fine and was forced to apologise after he called the referees “incompetent” following a regular-season meeting with grand final opponent Melbourne United.

“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,” he said at the time.

After that game, Tatum also spoke about his relationship with league referees.

“I’m intimidating, I guess my voice is too deep and I’m too tall and my skin colour’s different or whatever it is,” Tatum said.

Things got heated during the semi-final. Picture: Getty

Code Sports has been told Tatum has been furious with the refereeing for most of the season, believing he has been targeted. The club has had to counsel him on several occasions, urging him to keep his emotions in check.

The heated verbal clash was the only negative on an otherwise memorable night for the high-flying Hawks.

Illawarra blasted the Phoenix off the court with a 70-point first-half performance to surge into the grand final series against Melbourne United.

Hawks officials told Code Sports that the club has no comment regarding the matter and that the focus was on the championship series.