In the NBA, officials have long been a contentious subject, but this season in particular feels like they are in the spotlight more than ever. The Golden State Warriors are aware of this because they have had a number of disputed calls and non-called this season.
Steph is FUMING there wasn't a foul called on his 3-pointer đĄ pic.twitter.com/iH0nZdkORt
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) December 14, 2022
The Last Two Minute Report says the refs missed 5 calls against the Warriors in the final two minutes of OT against the Celtics
Klay Thompson shouldnât have fouled out
Jordan Poole didnât foul Malcolm Brogdon
Two missed defensive 3 seconds on Boston
24-seconds on Al Horford— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) January 20, 2023
Over the weekend, officiating came under fire once again after a controversial non-call occurred at the end of regulation in the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Lakers superstar LeBron James drove to the basket and was clearly fouled on a last-second lay-up attempt, however no whistle was blown and the game went into overtime where Los Angeles would eventually go on to lose.
LeBron is furious he didn't get this foul call at the end of the game đł pic.twitter.com/hANldRDGCo
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 29, 2023
The whole ordeal prompted this statement from the NBAâs Referee Union where they admitted to missing the foul the following day.
Like everyone else, referees make mistakes. We made one at the end of last nightâs game and that is gut-wrenching for us. This play will weigh heavily and cause sleepless nights as we strive to be the best referees we can be.https://t.co/WyN8QVuTOl
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) January 29, 2023
Aside from producing a couple of viral reactions to the call (including a legendary technical foul given to Lakers guard Patrick Beverly), the Lakers â having already used their coachâs challenge â were essentially powerless to the refereeâs decision in the moment.
While this certainly wonât be the last time an official gets a call wrong, the entire fiasco highlights the lack of accountability for NBA referees. Fines, suspensions, public record-keeping of correct calls vs. incorrect calls, and many more have all been suggested as potential ways to hold them accountable, but it remains to be seen if anything can or will be done in the future. Although officiating is a difficult job, it must be held to a higher standard if it is going to be this impactful towards outcome of the game.
Source: https://www.goldenstateofmind.com
