The Cairns Taipans have described Aron Baynes' physical confrontation with coach Adam Forde as a "violent assault" and are contemplating taking legal action following media commentary about the stoush.
The NBL tribunal banned NBA veteran Baynes for five games following three incidents in the Taipans' win at Nissan Arena on October 7.
Baynes angrily appealed to referees for a foul following high contact from Cairns' Lat Mayen, bumped Mayen as the pair left the court and then pushed Forde into a wall outside the dressing rooms during half-time.
Footage of the incident with Forde, which counted for three matches of the ban, was leaked online following the closed tribunal hearing.
The Bullets were privately dissatisfied with the length of Baynes' suspension, though chose not to appeal it.
The club also took issue with the fact Forde escaped sanction altogether, despite footage showing Baynes pushed him only after being addressed by the coach.
In comments to the media, Bullets advisor Stu Lash described Forde's behaviour as "unprofessional" and claimed the coach had been waiting outside the Brisbane dressing rooms to confront Baynes.
The Taipans have disputed this claim.
"It is deeply regrettable that coach Forde is now having to face unfounded and defamatory assertions that unjustly attack his personal and professional character and integrity," a Taipans statement read.
"Coach Forde was positioned outside the Cairns Taipans' locker room, not the Bullets' locker room, awaiting delayed half-time details from his assistant coaches."
AAP understands any legal case mounted by the Taipans would focus on perceived errors in the media coverage of the incident, rather than Baynes's push itself.
Cairns have not received an apology from Lash despite the NBL giving him an official warning and clearing Forde of any wrongdoing.
"The combined audio-visual evidence undeniably captures the manner and extent of Baynes's aggressive confrontation and violent assault on coach Forde, as upheld by the tribunal," the Taipans said.
"Neither the Cairns Taipans nor coach Forde will be issuing further comments about the assault and subsequent publications at this juncture, as we contemplate appropriate legal recourse."
The Taipans have this week returned from a brief tour of North America during which they played the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors for two NBA pre-season games.
They face the Illawarra Hawks in Wollongong on October 26 for their next NBL game.
