There is no way officiating is meant to be impartial in the NBA.

[greyforest]

Here's some food for thought...players and coaches are fined thousands of dollars for objecting to the officiating publicly. If Stern wanted officiating to be impartial he would do the opposite -- you want to invite criticism and review of the officiating in order to keep it fair.

This isn't the goal. Stern doesn't allow scrutiny from his employees about his officiating. Games are also easy to be manipulated. Take the case of Tim Donaghy. We all knew the NBA at least had the capability to be rigged after that fiasco.

These special interests are ing huge amounts of money...we're talking billions of dollars changing hands determined by the games.
Not just advertising revenue from ratings and ticket sales, but also from Vegas and gambling.

Stern once jokingly stated in an interview what his dream matchup would be for the finals, and his answer was "Lakers vs. Lakers". Joke or not, this is a worrisome answer. If Stern cared about sports he would have said "The two best teams", but his answer indicated that he cared about something different.

Here's a good question...do you know the names of any NFL referees? NCAA referees? How much discussion is there about the calls in those
leagues? Compare those amounts to the NBA, where people complain about the referees more than any other sport, and referee names are common knowledge.

Spurs aren't exactly favored by Stern. He literally changed the rules of basketball to prevent Bruce Bowen-type players from being effective and lowering TV ratings with defense-oriented basketball. By nerd standards, Stern nerfed the Spurs. It STILL wasn't enough to keep the Spurs out of championship contention. Most people like to watch the Spurs get beat because they are an unpopular team that very frequently beats their popular teams.

Despite all this and the NBA being halfway to the WWE, the only real reason I kept watching is because it's our city's only pro team, and also because the Spurs can be so damn
good. , they can beat teams even WITH bull calls stacked against them. If they're going to lose, though, I want them to lose
to the other team, not Joey Crawford.

So I'll leave with that. Joey Crawford still working in the NBA is my last little nugget of proof that impartiality is NOT what is valued by upper management.

[BRHornet45]

solid, quality post

sons I have been preaching against this type of nonsense for years now and although I have not been alone I have definitely been in the minority. However every single year more and more people are opening their eyes to just how big of a racket the NBA truly has become over the last 10+ years.

the NBA is still entertaining to watch as long as you don't take it too serious however at this point the games are so easily controlled and manipulated by the officials that there is rarely ever a legit "winner" on the court, but off the court each and every NBA employee is laughing all the way to the bank.

[BeeGee]

Here's a question for the author of this thread. Would this thread even exist if the Spurs had won last night?

[venitian navigator]

Here's a question for the author of this thread. Would this thread even exist if the Spurs had won last night?

I'll tell you this : probably not, but that would have been a mistake.
Sometimes, also when things are going right, you have to expose what'sgone wrong.
If we had won also with that amount of bull calls against us, probably we could have thought : well, we won, so let's not say nothing that could "irritate" the system.
The winner is supposed to just enjoy the winning, and not whining (at the cost of being badly considered by everyone).
The point is that a mistake is a mistake and should be shown in any case...and that amount of bad calls against us has been so huge and suspect (I could go further, and say they are evidence by themself of a spoiled officiating) that also fans from other teams are scratching their heads... well, we've been at the point that also someone on the ESPN has said something about that in our favor...

[Hooks]

Biased officiating is accepted these days. EVERY single NBA fan knows a superstar player will get superstar calls, whereas a rookie or some role player won't get the same treatment. We accept that fact, NBA commentators accept that fact, sportscasters accept that fact.

That right there is BLATANT biased officiating, yet we're so used to it that we just accept it. Most these so called "superstars" that barrel down the lane hoping to get bailed out are average at best when they don't get these calls that make them unguardable. Stern is the referee's boss, he's the one telling them to make calls for certain guys, don't call them for certain things etc.

[Hooks]

Here's a question for the author of this thread. Would this thread even exist if the Spurs had won last night?

Depends, if:

-Durant's moving charge wasn't called as an offensive foul
-Jackson's tech wasn't called
-Harden flopping into Jack wasn't called
-Harden flopping into Manu negating Leonard's 3pter didn't happen leading to Manu's 5th
-Leonard grabbing the offensive rebound on the baseline, Westbrick hitting Kawhi's head leading to a TO
-KD drawing a ton of touch fouls

etc.

[TE]

Depends, if:

-Durant's moving charge wasn't called as an offensive foul
-Jackson's tech wasn't called
-Harden flopping into Jack wasn't called
-Harden flopping into Manu negating Leonard's 3pter didn't happen leading to Manu's 5th
-Leonard grabbing the offensive rebound on the baseline, Westbrick hitting Kawhi's head leading to a TO
-KD drawing a ton of touch fouls

etc.

A lot ifs, let's just all take solace that we aren't the only ones that think we were on the wrong end of the officiating. Mav and Laker fans on this board have expressed their opinion beforehand as the Thunder also "beat" them.

Tbh, all this trolling is bad timing because we (mav, spur, and laker fans) have a new attention in town.

[leemajors]

depending on 4-6 calls to go our way to barely win and crying foul is a bit disingenuous. you can't blow 18 point leads

[Twisted_Dawg]

Biased officiating is accepted these days. EVERY single NBA fan knows a superstar player will get superstar calls, whereas a rookie or some role player won't get the same treatment. We accept that fact, NBA commentators accept that fact, sportscasters accept that fact.

That right there is BLATANT biased officiating, yet we're so used to it that we just accept it. Most these so called "superstars" that barrel down the lane hoping to get bailed out are average at best when they don't get these calls that make them unguardable. Stern is the referee's boss, he's the one telling them to make calls for certain guys, don't call them for certain things etc.

In the NFL, the top LT superstar in the league does not get to hold, put his hands in the face of the defensive player, trip, etc. The NFL's top superstar CB does not get to grab WR's downfield, or make contact before the ball arrives. You don't constantly hear the reference of "home cooking" officiaiting in the NFL you do in the NBA. The NFL never fired officials for cheating and lying about the expense reimbursements to the IRS, being convicted tax felons, and then rehiring them. Nor in the NFL do you have that same crew of 7-8 refs that seem to always show up in big games where controversial officiating factos in the game.

The difference is the NFL is a legitimte sport where the NBA is not, ranking slightly higher than WWE. The NBA has always been a very dirty sport when it comes to officiaitng. Say what you may about Tim Donneghy, but I believe his over all tone was spot on.

[Koolaid_Man]

First order of business:

is a toast to Cully and Luva

5>4 Is Now Immortalized In Reality for all git Ass Spur fan to mix in their stew

Next Order of Business...

To TimPP and Kori...with your recent childish, petulant, and odd behavior you guys simply didn't deserve to win another le...I'm glad the Spurs give you guys good writing material during the regular season, toy with you by making you think they're legit, and then flame out...worst collapse by a #1 seed ever...20+ straight wins and then a flame out...this is a SWEEP make no mistake about it...My new Spur Motto is: "Skunker 8 Followed By 4 STRAIGHT"

I hope you both have a miserable summer writing about the Spurs demise.....PS you still my girl Kori

Next Order of Business

Whose Disney will BR Hornet and Tyson Chandler now ride...will it be KG's or Lebron's...will it be Boston or Miami's... @ those ing real time losers

Next Order of Business

Heat Fan You Are Next Barkley Loves Lebron so much because Lebron is his Heir Apparent Ringless

Next Order of Business

To All Spur Fans chanting drive for 5...we been there and done that...so..in the immortal words of Toothless Jack:

Yo Dreams Clown

Final Order of Business:

5 to 4 Immortalized In INK - Count It

[Bill_Brasky]

Watching the first 6 minutes of that 4th quarter made me think that my favorite tommy nunez story wasn't so far-fetched after all.

[Hooks]

First order of business:

is a toast to Cully and Luva

5>4 Is Now Immortalized In Reality for all git Ass Spur fan to mix in their stew

Next Order of Business...

To TimPP and Kori...with your recent childish, petulant, and odd behavior you guys simply didn't deserve to win another le...I'm glad the Spurs give you guys good writing material during the regular season, toy with you by making you think they're legit, and then flame out...worst collapse by a #1 seed ever...20+ straight wins and then a flame out...this is a SWEEP make no mistake about it...My new Spur Motto is: "Skunker 8 Followed By 4 STRAIGHT"

I hope you both have a miserable summer writing about the Spurs demise.....PS you still my girl Kori

Next Order of Business

Whose Disney will BR Hornet and Tyson Chandler now ride...will it be KG's or Lebron's...will it be Boston or Miami's... @ those ing real time losers

Next Order of Business

Heat Fan You Are Next Barkley Loves Lebron so much because Lebron is his Heir Apparent Ringless

Next Order of Business

To All Spur Fans chanting drive for 5...we been there and done that...so..in the immortal words of Toothless Jack:

Yo Dreams Clown

Final Order of Business:

5 to 4 Immortalized In INK - Count It

You should start a thread about it.

[Harry Callahan]

If the Three Stooges the NBA rolled out last night are three of the top six officials in the NBA, then there is a problem.

I watched the second have on DVR, and the Spurs got no favors.

The Thunder took advantage, and they have Kevin Durant. That combination was too much.

The seven points gifted to the Thunder on three BS calls was just enough of a nudge to get them over the top. The two offensive fouls on Manu ABSOLUTELY impacted the game. Stephen Jackson looked at the coward dirtbag Mo Cheeks the wrong way? It a possibility that these guys were playing in an emotionally charged situation? Let them play - he said nothing. Joey C had to go there and toot the whistle.

Did OKC get called for one moving screen last night?

The Thunder are a great team, no doubt about it. The extra help was ridiculous.

[greyforest]

Here's a question for the author of this thread. Would this thread even exist if the Spurs had won last night?

Despite all this and the NBA being halfway to the WWE, the only real reason I kept watching is because it's our city's only pro team, and also because the Spurs can be so damn
good. , they can beat teams even WITH bull calls stacked against them. If they're going to lose, though, I want them to lose to the other team, not Joey Crawford.

[DeadlyDynasty]

there's always wakeboarding...

[JamStone]

There are a number of ways at looking at officiating in the NBA. Yes, there is biased officiating, mostly around established "superstar" players on any teams. But then, there are also favorable calls for certain teams, like the Lakers or the Heat. But there is also biased officiating for home teams in general, no matter who the two teams are.

I think the bad calls often become more emphasized when a particular team loses. In any given game, you might have a handful of bad calls on both teams. But if they offset relatively equally and don't happen in the final half of the fourth quarter, it's not a huge deal. And when it's your team that gets away with a favorable call, you're more like, "phew, glad we got away with that one, that was fortunate" as opposed to calling conspiracy theory all over blown calls, since it actually helped the team you root for.

The egregious that goes on like the 2006 NBA Finals with Dwyane Wade or the that the Celtics have gotten away with especially with moving screens since 2008 or with all the flopping from stars like LeBron and Wade and CP3, it just becomes more glaring and glaring that there really is an agenda. But if that were the case, wouldn't the Lakers be in the Finals every year? Wouldn't the Heat have won last year and be in a better position to win this year? Why would the Spurs, Pistons, and Mavericks have les over the past decade?

That's not to say there isn't ty officiating. There absolutely is. And to an extent, there is a level of things being rigged at least to favor superstars and certain teams. But if it's happening now and it's something that people have argued about for the better part of this past decade, you can say all the way back to the 2002 Lakers-Kings playoff series Donaghy talked about, then we should have seen a Bill Russell Celtics type of dominance from a team like the Lakers or we should be on the cusp of the Heat winning 10 in a row. Yet, the Spurs have been able to have sustained success despite the rigged nature of the NBA. Teams like Detroit and Dallas have found a way to nab a le. Oklahoma might have Durant but it's not a powerhouse major market and the team and its players aren't marketable. Why are they receiving the favorable whistle?

Acknowledge and admit there is biased officiating. But grow a set of balls and man up and don't blame it. A championship level team finds a way to win even if the calls don't go their way.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

If you think the NBA is rigged and that everything really is predetermined, then you're no better than a WWE fan for watching it. As long as you continue to watch and continue to keep the NBA profitable and popular, why would the NBA do anything differently? I say the same thing to Suns fans who about Sarver as much as/more than I do while they drop several hundred bucks on Suns tickets/merchandise/etc. every year.

[z0sa]

I don't blame officiating. They're just humans who also get caught up in the moment of the biggest game(s) of a season. Everyone knows that the NBA is the hardest league/sport to ref anyway.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

And to add to Jamstone's point, why the would the refs let San Antonio take an 18 point lead in the 1st place if they were bent on OKC winning. Doing that would make it so they would have a bigger hole to climb out of in the 2nd half and would need to make more blatant, egregious calls to put OKC on top.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

I don't blame officiating. They're just humans who also get caught up in the moment of the biggest game(s) of a season. Everyone knows that the NBA is the hardest league/sport to ref anyway.

Agreed, my only complaint is that the rules have made it as hard as ever to ref a game which leads to bad calls. The amount of charging fouls called should be way down and reserved for obvious situations. Refs shouldn't have to make a tough call as to how much someone flops. If the ref thinks something might have flopped, then it should just be a no call.

[z0sa]

Agreed, my only complaint is that the rules have made it as hard as ever to ref a game which leads to bad calls. The amount of charging fouls called should be way down and reserved for obvious situations. Refs shouldn't have to make a tough call as to how much someone flops. If the ref thinks something might have flopped, then it should just be a no call.

I concur - offensive fouls are crazy right now in the nba. Sliding, not sliding, flopping, not flopping doesn't even seem to be solid criteria. it's just whether or not the ref thinks a flop occurred and how out of the control the attacking player looks.