NBA Cup Chaos: Why Kevin Huerter’s Lightest Touch on Ref Sparked a Shocking Ejection

Well, isn’t this a curious little episode in the NBA’s early action? Chicago Bulls’ Kevin Huerter found himself on the wrong end of a swift ejection after a quirky moment of frustration took an unexpected turn. It happened during their heavy 143-107 defeat to the Miami Heat in the NBA Cup, when Huerter—after being whistled for a blocking foul—gave an almost dismissive flick of the basketball toward official Che Flores. The ball just happened to bounce off the ref’s leg, and veteran official Tony Brothers, who’s juggling the dual roles of referee and potential Norfolk mayoral hopeful, didn’t hesitate to toss Huerter a technical foul that cut his night short. This wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision either; the league stuck firmly to their guns after review, citing the rulebook’s clear stance on unsportsmanlike conduct toward officials—covering everything from disrespectful talk to any unwarranted contact and beyond. While this ejection didn’t exactly tip the scales—the Bulls were already trailing by a wide margin—the whole incident underscores how quickly simmering frustration can boil over on the hardwood. Intrigued to dive deeper into the drama and the rules that shaped it? LEARN MORE.

Look out, officials of the NBA. Chicago Bulls wing Kevin Hurter might half-heartedly bat the ball at you.

The Bulls’ 143-107 loss to the Miami Heat in NBA Cup play on Friday saw one of the most bizarre ejections of the young NBA season. In the third quarter, Huerter was called for a blocking foul after making too much contact with Miami’s Pelle Larson.

In frustration, Huerter smacked the ball in the air in the direction of Che Flores the official who called the foul. The ball bounced into Flores’ right leg, lightly enough that the ref didn’t immediately react to the impact. However, he did turn around when veteran official (and potential mayoral candidate) Tony Brothers hit Huerter with a technical foul and instant ejection.

The decision was upheld upon review.

In case you were curious, here’s what Rule 12, Section V of the NBA rulebook says about technical fouls and ejections for abusing an official:

d. A technical foul shall be assessed for unsportsmanlike tactics such as:

• Disrespectfully addressing an official

• Physically contacting an official

• Overt actions indicating resentment to a call or no-call

e. Cursing or blaspheming an official shall not be considered the only cause for imposing technical foul. Running tirades, continuous criticism or griping may be sufficient cause to assess a technical. Excessive misconduct shall result in ejection from the game.

So it appears Brothers believed the Huerter play landed in the realm of “excessive misconduct.”

The saving grace here is that Hurter’s ejection hardly lost the Bulls the game. They were down 78-57 at the time of the play in a rough night at United Center. Eight different Heat players scored in double figures while winning the rebounding battle 53-39, along with 13 steals as a team.

Huerter finished the game with 3 points on 1-of-4 shooting off the bench, plus 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and, perhaps, a lesson learned.