The Atlanta Hawks suspended forward Josh Smith for one game and fined him an undisclosed amount of money for conduct detrimental to the team.
“Josh and I discussed the issue and he understood and accepted this course of action,” general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement. “We are confident that he will respond positively, learn from this experience and come back with a renewed sense of purpose to the team moving forward,” Ferry said.
The team did not reveal the cause for the suspension. Smith, who leads the team with 16.5 points and 2.3 blocked shots per game, received a technical foul during the Hawks’ 97-58 blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday when he, along with teammates Jeff Teague and Devin Harris sent former Atlanta guard Kirk Hinrich flying into the basket support.
Smith was to serve the suspension against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.
“Clearly I am competitive and was frustrated by our recent losses,” Smith said in a statement. “I understand and respect the team’s actions and just want to get back on the court to do whatever is necessary to help my teammates. I apologize for letting them down and apologize to our fans for not being available for tonight’s game.”