By Mark Anthony Costanza
It has been no secret that the animosity between NBA players and referees has escalated to new heights this season. Every week there seems to be a moment during a game where a call made by the ref is heavily disputed by a player, resulting in a heated altercation on the court. This has led to an absurd number of ejections and technical fouls. According to Fox Sports’ NBA statistics, there have already been 41 ejections and over 460 techs called.
Has this tension between players and referees always existed?
Issues between players and officials generally occur across all sports. However, in the NBA, the relationship has a significant history of problems. A notable example is the 2007 NBA betting scandal.
NBA fans will remember disgraced referee, Tim Donaghy, who infamously betted on games and fixed them accordingly, so that he and others would win large sums of money. After pleading guilty to federal fraud charges, Donaghy became outspoken on the corruption among officials within the league. He claimed numerous referees were involved in fixing game six of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings in order to extend the series to seven games. In addition, the disgraced ref alleged that the officials in the 2006 NBA Finals organized the games so that the Dallas Mavericks would lose the series against the Miami Heat.
Although Donaghy was the only referee caught and punished, the scandal left a residual effect where fans, players and coaches became skeptical of the officiating.
From the players’ perspective, it is frustrating because they don’t know if there is some incentive for referees wanting players out of games. This is not to say that the current referees are corrupt, or that athletes feel that way, but it’s something significant to keep in mind when considering why their rapport today is so bitter.
As of right now, the tension seems to only be getting worse. However, there is some hope on the horizon that the relationship can potentially head in a positive direction.
On Jan. 26, the NBA President of League Operations, Byron Spruell, announced a five-part program they intend to implement in order to improve the communication between players and referees. Leading the program will be NBA Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Operations, Michelle Johnson, and NBA Vice President and Head of Referee Development and Training, Monty McCutchen.
Beginning before the All-Star break, all 30 teams will meet with Johnson, McCutchen and their staffs to discuss “rules interpretations, on-court conduct and the expectations of NBA referees.” Also, there will be enhanced training for the referees on how to resolve conflict situations.
There is no guarantee this program will mediate the bad blood between the players and referees, however it may allow for a more “amicable” second half of the season.
…Or things could just get worse.
