Hawks head coach Nate McMillan has been fined $25K by the NBA for “detrimental public comments asserting bias,” the league announced today in a press release.
As Chris Kirschner of The Athletic relays, McMillan was fined for comments he made during his session with reporters on Wednesday, when he was asked about national media members picking the Knicks to defeat the Hawks in round one of the playoffs.
“I’ve talked about that to the team a lot,” McMillan said. “I’ve gone as far as saying, ‘The league wants this. They need this.’ New York is a big market. It’s a big market for the league. New York has been out of the playoffs for a number of years. This is a team that our league — they want to see. … I think the NBA is excited about them being back in the playoffs.”
McMillan was essentially just reiterating a widely-held belief that the NBA prefers to see teams in large market with huge fanbases succeed, as he went on to liken the Knicks to the Lakers and Celtics.
While McMillan’s comments seem relatively harmless, it’s understandable that the NBA didn’t appreciate the implication that the league might make an effort to push the Knicks past the Hawks — especially when that implication came from Atlanta’s head coach.
His comments are certainly accurate
Last night
Lakers beat Warriors because they complained about officiating
Lakers free throw 25
Warriors free throw 15
Lakers ugly win because they rely in 10 more free throws
Referees make decision?
The second half
First two minutes, Warriors had too many fouls
Lakers don’t have any fouls
Lakers key to success: free throw
Win was Decided by referees?
Actually Draymond Green could have gotten his second technical in three or four different occasions. And when he hit LeBron’s face it would have been very easy to make it a flagrant. I think the officiating was very good overall.
I’m a Warriors fan but didn’t have any officiating concerns last night. The Lakers went hard at the rim way more than the Warriors (especially in the 4th quarter when Davis suddenly stopped cowering in fear at Draymond).
I did have a problem with Mark Jackson, who would have had the officials call about 15 more fouls for the Lakers and several fewer for the Warriors. But it’s hard to blame him too much for disliking the Ws given the history there.
Honesty is the most important in life
My friends said different group of referees should have different result last night
Result: Lakers lost
totally. The game was close enough that if the refs had a Warriors bias, the Ws probably could have won. Neutral refs resulted in the Lakers winning.
Well ur friend group seems about as smart as u r. If u know anything about basketball u would know 2 things about officiating. 1. The team that attacks the rim the most will get to the line more. (The Lakers in this case) and 2. The team that shoots more 3s won’t get to the line as much. (The Warriors obviously shoot more 3s then most teams they play). If the officials were as bad as u claim then y didn’t Draymond get tossed or get a Flagrant on the play at the rim?
Turnovers in the 3rd… think about that at all.
can you explain why the knicks didn’t make the playoffs since 2013, have not moved up in the draft since 1985? If the NBA wants the Knicks to do well, than why have they simply messed them up with their decisions year in and year out.
Easily explained. The NBA WANTS the Knicks to do well, but the games are not actually fixed. That is, indeed, the situation.
Sure the NBA wants the Knicks to do well, by literally making up rules for the Nets, 76ers to win? By hiring a former 76er to ref a 76er game? They don’t rig anything.
Also if they wanted the Knicks to win, they wouldn’t rig the lottery AGAINST the Knicks.
Good comment ignoring the entire picture.
bruh
Who is “The NBA”?
The league office? I would guess the majority of employees couldn’t care less about the Knicks.
Adam Silver? The NBA is arguably more successful than it’s ever been and everyone loves him. I doubt he’s losing sleep over the outcome of any Knicks season.
In addition to the other poster’s opinion, the Knicks have just made atrocious basketball decisions for a long time. See: James Dolan.
Dolan did make a bunch of stupid decisions, the fact that the Knicks are the only team to have multiple lottery picks and not move up since 1985 is proof the league has rigged the lottery against them.
Your proof doesn’t prove anything. “Move up”?— from what, why? Maybe they’ve never bottomed out. This is a national site, not everyone keeps track of the Nix.
Do you understand how the lottery works? Clearly you don’t if you are making me explains this.
Knicks pre-lottery drawing has been in the top 3 or 4 odds wise of winning that number 1 pick nearly every year in the last 5 years. That isn’t including the time from 1986-2015.
But the number 1 pick has gone to the knicks once in 1985.
The number of times the knicks entering the lottery part of the draft since 1985, is 17 times
The number of times the Knicks pick has slid down or stayed the same is 17 times.
Number of times the Knicks have moved up a single slot: 0 times.
Cleveland Cavs from 2011-2014 had 2 #1 overall picks from a 0.3% chance and a 25% chance to get that pick. (Look it up)
Their other pick in 11-14 was 3rd overall and moved up as well.
Pelicans had a 19% chance of becoming top 3 and 6% chance to win the number 1 yet which pick did they win the year Davis left? 2019
I can add many more examples from the Bulls winning the pick for Rose to Wall to the Wizards and others.
Please understand the odds to get those results without the Knicks moving up ONCE is astronomical. You’d have a better chance winning the mega millions twice than the NBA doing the Knicks dirty by accident.
I see the Nix finishing from the bottom 6,1,9,6,6 from 2020-2016, a 5.3 mean. They drafted 8,3,9,8,(traded away), a 7.0 mean. So asssuming they made no other trades, the balls def did not go their way.
But this does not correlate with “Knicks pre-lottery drawing has been in the top 3 or 4 odds wise of winning that number 1 pick nearly every year in the last 5 years.” I found a 5.3 average (not a 3.5) leading to a #7 pick. This causes me to doubt your stats though I believe your anguish…in those 5 years the Nix should have had one #1.
As for the other 12 lotteries over 31 years, I’m tired of doing the math. It really is your job, unless you like making unsubstantiated claims over & over that lack logic. At first you said
“can you explain why the knicks didn’t make the playoffs since 2013, have not moved up in the draft since 1985?”
Overlooking grammar, the first factoid is due to Dolan, and the last you altered later on.
Who cares about the ex76er ref, maybe he did not like his discharge.
I edited due to the fact I forgot the bloody since 1985.
Knicks when they drafted Porzingis were the 2nd overall pick (by record) moved down to 4th.
Who cares about the ex76er Ref? Um an ex player shouldn’t be able to referee their old employer’s game creates a situation of bias? That game had a bunch of questionable calls go 76ers way that’s why.
Also said I rather not go back and look at every lotto position +odds and actually use the exact probability for a post. It is absurd, but the league has hated the Knicks for a very long time and that is a fact.
Favoritism to the Celtics, Lakers, Heat, Bulls etc has been shown way too many times over.
Hate has been given to the Knicks, Kings, Warriors (though recently has gone both ways), Jazz etc.
Also of course there is absolutely no way to 100% prove a League’s decision making without being there or in the referees mind.
The number of times the lottery has gone particular teams way is a bit absurd.
Cavs lose Lebron get Kyrie following draft.
Bulls need a superstar, get the insane Rose draft
Wizards need a star get Wall
Pelicans lose AD to Lakers get Zion
Knicks in a top 4 slot at least 3 times, and a higher percentage than any of the teams listed above at least 8 times yet has not moved up in the draft not only for #1 but any slot.
Let’s talk 76ers draft luck in the years they tanked.
#1 three times
#3 twice
You don’t think the draft is rigged?
Also people have done the odds over the years of obscene bs the league has done.
The exact numbers I gave were estimating based on memory. (True percentage Bulls had a 1.3% chance, Cavs a 3% chance, Pelicans 6% etc)
It is impossible for the Knicks not to have had the #1 pick for 25 years being in the process 17 times and having higher percent than the Bulls, Cavs, Pelicans combined (10.3%) In Every lottery draft they were in.
So make fun of my grammar, make fun of me using edit to clarify what I meant noticing a mistake as soon as I posted, but to dismiss my comment is funny coming from a guy who clearly doesn’t understand a single thing about the NBA background dealings or is oblivious to facts.
link to basketball.realgm.com
You know BB okay. But you just make a series of unsubstantiated claims like we’re all drunk in a bar.
I supported your claim after scrounging up some facts for it. You have not and it is your argument. You don’t seem to know how to prove anything except claiming it is so and expecting everyone to believe you the source. Guess what everything you say supports your team via persecution complex. Crazy, uneducated, retarded, loaded maybe.
Grammar is to establish sense or connect ideas. Proofread like you’re someone else.
My thing is don’t act as if the league put us in the playoffs we beat you 3 times regardless of what happen. I understand the league want a big market back in the playoffs but the league didn’t put that hard work in for us to be here. We are #1 in defense if I’m not mistaken also 1 of the top 3pt shooting teams come on give respect where it’s do tired of people talking about this team like that. Julius Randle had a hell of a year also barret was good defensive we were very good. What have Atlanta done in the playoffs period so don’t down us get out of your own quick sand.
Sometimes truth hurts, at least it did financially this time.
Fined for telling the truth…oof how fascist of the nba
nate mac!!! bring back the sonics!!!
It was pretty clear watching Anthony Davis toss guys to the floor with no call and get that double tech even though JTA didn’t say a word last night that the league also wants the Lakers in it. The refs literally seemed afraid to make calls.
It stems from the NBA being afraid to make Steph the face of the league over LeFraud le team hopper. Cowards, he’s the best and most entertaining player in history.
They don’t feel like Steph can get out of round 1 and Phoenix won’t exactly get the ratings the Lakers would.
Plus there was that one foul that the refs gave out after LeBron basically told them to do it. So pathetic how much the league bows to him. It’s disgusting.
Oh yeah I forgot about that one.
Refs aren’t really interested in officiating unless they can make it about them whether it’s an emphatic triple whistle on an “offensive foul” or t’ing people up for bouncing a ball…it’s been gross league wide
I thought, in general, they let both teams play. I’m a Warriors fan and the officiating seemed reasonable to me. The Warriors attack the rim at lot less (at least yesterday) so of course they shoot fewer free throws.
How about we consider something tangible instead of these conspiracies. Future Hall of Famer Draymond Green scored a BIG 2 points while the Warriors coughed up the ball 20 times including 15 in the 2nd half. There’s the difference in the game. If you can’t see that you’re a certified homer.
In the past Noahrnohr is a Lakers fan
Today he becomes a Warriors fan
The NBA has a history a fining the truth not surprised. Once again, I feel they bring more attention with the fining as I had no idea he said this and I’m not sure how much anyone cares a week from now about him saying what he said.
They also never officially show us where the fine money goes, that’s SO shady.
More attention now, perhaps, but coaches do this a lot less than they would if there were no fines.
can you explain why the knicks didn’t make the playoffs since 13. Or have not moved up in the draft since 1985? If the NBA wants the Knicks to do well, than why have they simply messed them up with their decisions year in and year out.
This is such a ridiculous point. Why do you keep making it?
The answer is obvious to anybody who isn’t paranoid. The NBA wants the Knicks to win because $$$$ but the NBA doesn’t actually fix games.
Why do I keep making it? because dumb people say the coach was telling the truth.
NBA wants the Knicks to win…They rigged 5 games against the Knicks this year. Had a biased referee who was a former 76er REF a 76er game. Rigging 1011.
How many times have I seen the entire opponents starting five have less fouls than Randle, Rose, etc. Don’t tell me that is possible if they follow the rulebook. Go look at Crawford (referee) comments that is the biggest truth when it comes to rigging.
Also the fact that they have constantly rigged the lottery against the Knicks and people say they want the Knicks to win? Are the people stupid for saying this or just blind to the truth?
Shuttup and prove it. There are stats kept on draft slottings. That would be believable, though still just circumstance, but at least something.
Yet you keep making this nebulous point of your own: The NBA “wants” NY to win.
The *only* way we could prove this would be if some improper action was taken on behalf of the league to benefit NY, which is clearly what McMillan was alluding to in his statements.
If there’s no evidence of the NBA intervening (which there isn’t) then what footing do we have to say the NBA “wants” the Knicks? The NBA has done quite well since the last time NY made the playoffs.
Exactly the same reasoning why a ref who’s career record in GSW games was 1-14 with 5 playoff losses was reffing that game last night – Lebron isnt allowed to lose unless there’s a million excuses and he had none last night, so the crooked ref who clearly has it out for GSW gets the call. Silver is so dumb. Steph was the guy he should be babying along and giving a soft ride to, not LeFraud “I’m blind” rolling around like its WWE. Steph was a lunatic last night, and deserved the W way more than anyone on the Lakers did, who played like dominated weaklings in the first half. If GSW can play like they did in the first half last night in both halves, they won’t lose another game.
So why was there No T on Draymond then ?
Wouldn’t that be a perfect time to flex??
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts… As great as Curry was, LeBron made the most difficult shot in Steph’s face and won the game. Plain and simple.
lebron clearly got poked in the eye. You hate him so much you don’t like facts.
Blaming the league is just a baby way of dealing with the fact the team you dont like won. Like I’m a Celtics fan cuz of 5he team I could care less how many people live in the city. It’s like wrestling fans obsessing over how many other people watched the same show as them. Who cares.
You can’t stop Bron from throwing up a three. Like Warriors deserve to go on. Please go wash the Warriors shorts. No Babies Allowed… NBA
If Warriors could play D they might win again.
McMillan is another baby. Like crying is going to get you attention. You haven’t beat Knicks all yr. Randle owns the Hawks . He’s basically saying we can’t win. Randle got 37 for you AGAIN lol.
League should just fast forward to a Knicks/Lakers final so the rest of us can enjoy our covid delayed summer.
I’d prefer to see the Knicks who play hard as opposed to Trae crying, throwing himself into defenders all day with his fake Curry wanna be weak self…
Get a wambulance for this guy stat.
Wizards put up 142 on Pacers. I thought they’d win. But that’s overdoing it. Nice win. Now you go 5 with Sixers.
I really don’t get why McMillan went there. He knows Knicks own Hawks. He was there for all three gms. Did NBA make sure they won. I mean crying is just an admission of weakness. And I like coach. He knows Thibs style. Knicks have worked to get here. Makes no sense to me. He must really think they can’t win. Off course NBA wants Knicks in playoffs.
137-127, 123-112, 113-108 . Thanks NBA for helping us sweep the Hawks. I hope we sweep them again.
Just another black eye in the N B A on how they treat black coaches in general. Anybody look at the fact that maybe being that Atlanta got swept by the Knicks during the regular season. This might have been just a little motivational tool for his team to come out and play very hard even though the Knicks did sweep the Hawks, they were competitive. She has nothing to do with markets the Knicks have been a laughing stock for the past 20 years, and as a loyal Knicks fan the only thing I can see worse than what Nate McMillan did or said, which I take no resent me too. Was we still have to deal with Jim Dolan.
He gets fined for a perfectly harmless comment. Meanwhile LeBron is blatantly disregarding health and safety protocols and the NBA is all like “no problem, it’s your league so the rules don’t apply to the King”. I can’t believe how anyone could still think this guy is the best player in NBA history when he gets an insane amount of preferential treatment by the league. It’s disgusts me. How could anyone have an ounce of respect for a person like that? He is everything that’s wrong with sports.
Not harmless. Typical of the league to fine suggestions of bias.
How can you question the integrity of this league after it was revealed that Stern and Silver paid to make sure the Lakers cruised through the west all those years ? There’s a former ref working in pro wrestling because of that. LeBron has a title gifted from Silver in the name of ratings.