Chase Buford, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League team, did not sugarcoat how he felt about the officiating on Sunday night.
After the Wisconsin Herd blew a 21-point fourth quarter lead against the Grand Rapids Drive, a visibly exasperated Buford called a ref a “f---ing clown."
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The rant was captured on video by WFRV’s Ryan Rodig, who called the outburst an “early candidate for coaching rant of the year.”
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
"The officiating definitely went right for Grand Rapids,” Buford said. “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. So that’s the way I feel.”
Chase Buford’s father, R.C. Buford is the CEO of Spurs Sports and Entertainment.
The first-year head coach issued an apology who called the loss a “tough learning experience" in a statement released Sunday night by the team.
— Wisconsin Herd (@WisconsinHerd) February 24, 2020
The apology wasn’t enough to avoid a two-game suspension for the rant, according to Bleacher Report.