Aron Baynes has learned his fate following heated incidents during the Brisbane Bullets' NBL match with the Cairns Taipans.
An alleged clash between Baynes and Taipans head coach Adam Forde on Saturday night garnered heavy media attention with Taipans’ player Lat Mayen also in the thick of the action during an ill-tempered game.
Aron Baynes hit with five-game ban, Adam Forde escapes sanction
Baynes fronted an NBL single-member tribunal on Thursday night where he faced charges of excessive disputing, unsportsmanlike conduct and an abnormal or unacceptable act in basketball.
The former NBA was found guilty of all three charges and was handed a five-match suspension.
“The NBL supports the independence of both the game review panel and single member tribunal, and respects the decision of the SMT,” the NBL said in a statement.
MORE: Aldridge on Lillard's Blazers legacy and bright future in Milwaukee
"I unreservedly accept that my conduct was unacceptable, and I have fallen short of the standard expected of a representative of the Brisbane Bullets and the NBL," Baynes said in a separate statement.
"I wish to sincerely apologise for my actions."
Forde, on the other hand, escaped sanction after being "cleared of any wrongdoing", as first reported by ESPN's Olgun Uluc.
The Bullets were left incensed by Forde's alleged actions at half time towards Baynes, with the club's senior basketball advisor, Stu Lash, publicly criticising the coach and calling for a ban.
Yet the NBL's game review panel dismissed these claims and issued the Bullets with an official warning for Lash's comments.
The NBL’s Game Review Panel (GRP) has issued sanctions, following an assessment of last weekend’s Bullets-Taipans game.⁰ ⁰- Aron Baynes has been referred to a Single Member Tribunal. The Tribunal will sit at 7pm (AEDT) on Thursday, Oct. 12.⁰ - Lat Mayen was charged with…
— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) October 11, 2023
Meanwhile, for his part in the incident, Mayen was issued with a one-match ban for striking. However, this was later reduced to a $1,550 fine following an early guilty plea.
What happened between Aron Baynes and Adam Forde?
The incident between Baynes and Ford occurred following a tense end to the first half of last Saturday's Bullets-Taipans clash.
Late in the second quarter, Baynes was elbowed in the throat by Mayen while contesting a rebound.
The ex-NBA big man was held back by his teammates as he fervently challenged officials regarding a no-call.
MORE: Menulog is serving up FREE* Delivery with Hungry Jack’s orders over $15 on Friday Nights
Both Baynes and Mayen earned technical fouls, with the Bullets bench also receiving their own technical foul for continually yelling at the referees.
As the teams exited the court at the halftime interval, Baynes and Mayen confronted each other again, leading to both players being ejected before play recommenced in the third quarter.
The alleged physical altercation between Baynes and Forde occurred during the half-time break.
Forde denied there being any exchange of words when asked by media post-match.
