Christmas Day proved a tough outing for the Illawarra Hawks, but it was head coach Justin Tatum’s post-game comments that quickly became the talking point across the NBL.
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‘IS THIS A COMMUNIST LEAGUE’: CHAMPION HITS BACK AT ‘SENSITIVE’ REFEREES
Christmas Day was meant to be a showcase moment for the NBL as the league continues its push to own the festive television window. Instead, the clash between the Illawarra Hawks and Sydney Kings served as a reminder of how far the defending champions have fallen.
The Kings were in control throughout the contest, recording a 108-84 win led by Kendric Davis, who finished with 27 points and nine assists. For Illawarra, it was another frustrating night in a season that has quickly unravelled. After 19 games, the Hawks sit at 6-13 and are struggling to mount a credible title defence.
While there are multiple reasons behind Illawarra’s decline, head coach Justin Tatum was focused on the lack of respect his side receives as reigning champions following the Christmas Day loss.
“You know, being the champions from last year, in this league, really doesn’t mean anything, in my opinion, as a respect factor,” Tatum said.
“I get my technical foul for being happy that we found a way to get a foul called and the other opposing team could probably do the same thing and just get a smile.”
The technical foul was another tense moment in a difficult season for Tatum, who has repeatedly found himself at odds with officials throughout NBL26. The incident drew strong reaction from Hawks championship player and NBL commentator Damon Lowery on NBL Overtime.
“Absolutely preposterous. I don’t want to hear it about warnings. He clapped as if to say, about damn time. I can’t do that?” Lowery said.
“I can’t sarcastically clap. What is this? Is this a communist league?”
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Lowery added that “the referee that blew that tech is too sensitive and that ain’t the first time he’s shown how sensitive he is.”
Despite the blunt comments, there remains belief that Illawarra is better than its record suggests. The Hawks have welcomed back Sam Froling and still feature a core of JaVale McGee, Will Hickey and Tyler Harvey. However, as Lanard Copeland explained, the biggest difference from last season is depth.
“Last year when they won the championship, they had two teams,” Copeland said.
“They had a quality starting group and a backup unit that could match them. They don’t have that this year and that’s why they’re struggling.”
Illawarra has lost key contributors from its title-winning roster, including MVP-calibre guard Trey Kell III and reliable role players Darius Days and Lachlan Olbrich. Combined with inconsistent output from veterans Todd Blanchfield and Dan Grida, the foundation that drove last season’s success has not been replicated.
There are still 14 games remaining, and while the Hawks sit eighth, the gap to sixth place is just four wins with games in hand on the teams above them. On paper, this group is capable of more, but unless consistency improves quickly, the defending champions risk seeing their season slip away.
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