NBA is arguably more competitive than it’s ever been before. With at least one star calibre player on each team, the race to the championship is often wide open. And one missed or blown call by the officials can change the entire trajectory of a franchise’s season. Well, officiating has become a major concern for teams, as players regularly get called for unnecessary technical fouls and many hard hits often go unnoticed. And it looks like the players have had enough as they have begun calling out the refs for their questionable decision making. Three such incidents occurred tonight!
Well, the first one took place during Pelicans vs Rockets. As Zion Williamson drove to the basket, he lost control of the ball with Tari Eason and Steven Adams contesting his shot. While the play continued, the high flyer believed that he got fouled on the play, and he let the official know of his frustration. With no filter, Zion said to the referee, “So you didn’t see it huh? I’m sick of that s— bro!”
You can hear Zion telling the ref “So you didnt see it huh? I’m sick of that shit bro” pic.twitter.com/klPIhFCmWZ
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) March 7, 2025
In a similar incident during Warriors vs Nets, Stephen Curry got called for a foul after he intentionally shoulder bumped defender Keon Johnson during an inbound pass. However, what the referee clearly missed was Johnson initially grabbing Steph’s arm and bumping into him to stop him from receiving the pass. Sure enough, Curry was not pleased with the call and immediately turned toward the ref to express his frustration.
Meanwhile in Boston, Torrey Craig got penalized with a foul while defending Kelly Oubre Jr. during a drive. However, replay clearly showed that it was Oubre who accidentally hit the Celtics star in the jaw. But when Craig asked the official to review his decision, the call stayed, resulting in free throws for Oubre. This led to Jayson Tatum taking a dig at the refs, “I woulda got a tech.”
Of course, Tatum has been on the receiving end of several controversial techs, for basic actions like clapping or waiving off a ref after a missed call. But these separate instances highlight the common issue that has been plaguing the league. Officiating! And it does not look like Adam Silver is doing much to solve the issue.
(Developing Story)
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