Atlanta Hawks may be having a family feud but one look at the protagonists of the feud, coach Mike Woodson and Josh Smith and you wouldn’t think anything was wrong. Woodson and Smith were all smiles as they met the press for a brief moment before Atlanta’s game against the Pistons on Saturday.
An alleged shouting match had ensued in the half-time break in the game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets the night before and that prompted Woodson to bench Smith for the remainder of the game.
Despite the argument, Woodson placed Smith in the starting lineup for the Pistons game and also mentioned that the Smith wouldn’t be facing any punishment in the form of suspensions or fines. “We’re going to move forward. It has been resolved. He will be back in the lineup playing tonight. It happens. That’s all I can tell you. It happens.”
“The past is the past, and the present is now,” Smith said. “I’m enjoying life and my teammates. Everything’s good and I’m ready to get back to work.”
Smith was signed by the Atlanta Hawks in 2004 and has been under Woodson for his entire career so far. In April 2007, a similar situation arose when Smith was handed a two-game suspension for swearing at Woodson in a loss to Philadelphia. The suspension was handed out by the former general manager, Billy Knight. The signs of tension between the duo were visible in the dying minutes in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“Whatever goes on in the locker room goes on in the locker room between us,” Smith said before Atlanta faced the Pistons. “As players and coaches, this is not our demeanor and this is not what we’re going to do. You can ask all the questions you want to ask about last night, but you’re probably not going to get answers from anybody.”
Woodson has mentioned that he is ready to move beyond this current situation.
“As a coach, I think I dealt with it the best way I can, and now it’s time to move forward,” Woodson said. “I’ve never held grudges against my players. I’m going to push these guys as a coach and try to see if they can help us win basketball games. I think that’s what it’s all about.”