5th game in row this past Saturday, final games of a 3 day tourney. I get a new partner for this game, and I wish I hadn't. Just to set the scene:
- In pre-game he was so busy chatting with the player who was keeping score (the son of one of our local board members, coincidence?), that he will barely acknowledge my presence, let alone engage in any kind of pre-game. I have to ask him his name.
- Reacts to criticism from the crowd by talking back, several times. He offers people the opportunity to come do it better and even threatens to call the game.
After all this, during one timeout I'm holding the ball and he asks me for it so he can shoot around. I ask him quietly, "What, you don't think we've got enough problems already tonight?" He looks at me like he has no idea what I'm talking about. So I toss him the ball and walk away.
At the time I was mentally chanting Mick's mantra: Get in, get done, get out.
Today I'm wondering, as a matter of professionalism or just general principle, if I should have (a) kept the ball and walked away, and/or (b) gotten in this guy's grill about his behavior.
What would you have done? What if it were a regular season game, rather than a summer tourney?