Adam Silver on officiating issues

OTMax · Feb 18, 2018

J.R. said: ↑

NBA players, referees discuss rising issues, agree to improve communication

LOS ANGELES -- A small group of NBA referees and players held a meeting Saturday, working to relieve mounting tension between the sides.

The meeting included three players, three referees and officials from both the referees' union and the players' union. Among the items agreed on was establishing a direct communication line between the two unions that would not involve the NBA league office to address issues that arise between the sides, the unions announced in a joint statement.

There are procedures involving the league office in place, and those will continue. But there was a concern from the unions that sometimes the league office doesn't communicate the same information to referees and players, and that was contributing to the divide, sources told ESPN.

Technical fouls and ejection rates are flat this season compared to last, with referees calling 0.67 per game after calling 0.63 last season. But for various reasons, the level of discourse about player-referee relationships has increased significantly. Several high-profile players, such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Draymond Green, are on pace to receive suspensions for technical foul totals. There has also been some surprise ejections, such as the first of LeBron James' career.

Several issues that have been causing friction were raised during the meeting. One, sources told ESPN, is the referees' enforcement of the so-called "respect for the game" rules. These rules were introduced by the NBA in 2010 and updated in 2015 and were aimed at limiting players' reactions to referee decisions, among other issues.

Both unions, however, believe the current rules aren't effectively being communicated. A large percentage of technical fouls are called for violating these guidelines. Officials believe they are enforcing the rules, but players don't always feel they are breaking them because there isn't a shared understanding, sources said. The referees acknowledged that they have sometimes been inconsistent in the application of these rules, sources said.

Another issue addressed was the relationship between younger officials and players, which has been deteriorating at times this season. The sides discussed differing levels of respect that exist based on the experience of a referee and a player and how those can be mitigated.

Referees and players also discussed techniques for dealing with each other within games. For example, one of the actions discussed was referees giving the so-called "stop hand" to players during disagreements. While this is taught to referees as a way to diffuse a situation, it has been taken as offensive by players who want to have more of an open back-and-forth. Overall, the sides would like more open discussion of various hand signals and techniques.

The unions agreed to have more meetings in the future.

The league itself was not represented at the meeting and was not involved in setting it up. The NBA did recently announce a five-point plan to improve player-referee relationships and is currently conducting meetings with teams across the league.

"I think it's fantastic and a great statement about this league that these important stakeholders in this case, our players and the officials, think it's important enough and they have an obligation to the game where they should be sitting down and talking to each other," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday. "Because at the end of the day, I mean, as I've said before, I've never thought this was just about ratcheting up fines. I think that there's a larger issue in play here, and almost one that's a little societal in we owe it to young fans who are watching, we owe it to young people who get enormous satisfaction out of sports, to see that we truly can get along and be respectful and empathetic.

"The fact that these two groups want to sit down with each other and say how can we both do a better job, how can we create a better understanding, is fantastic."

The NBA's referee operations department is in the first year of an overhaul, as several long-time executives recently left the company or were reassigned. It hired retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson as head of referees operations and promoted well-respected referee Monty McCutchen to head of development and training.
Click to expand...

Sorry but those respect of the game rules are one sided to begin with. Players know referees take things personal, there’s star calls and instructions from the league office that hurt referees’ status and integrity, so they need to respect the game too!

Nothing will change, unfortunately. As long as they take human emotion out of the game and any form of walking away, talking and visual expression of anger and frustration as a sign of disrespect, there’s no sincerity in these attempts. No matter how much Silver and others will praise these meetings.

The problems are easy to fix, the real ones. Ejections and technicals for high profile players are a good thing. I love it! Warriors in particular need to cool it on trying to show up the refs. In that case I’d take it personal too.

HAYJON02 · Feb 18, 2018

Is the argument against instant replay purely based on tradition?

HAYJON02 · Feb 18, 2018

I feel conflicted. I absolutely love players using their platform to promote social justice and the generational work we need, but when they whine about the refs, I wanna tell them to shut up. Except for the '05 Mavs series and all the illegal defense that was apparently okay in the '96 Sonics series.

Realjad · Feb 18, 2018

This is the quote by Silver that really 'grinds my gears'

"we've looked back at the data from over the years and there haven't been a greater number of ejections or a greater number of technicals.

"There is nothing aberrational happening in terms of the calls on the floor, but it's something that people are talking about. I recognize that."
Click to expand...

Dude, seriously? You can't be comparing the complaints right now on data from 'over the years'. This isn't some acute problem, it's a chronic problem. This is an issue that has been going on for some years. This has been a problem since the Kings were robbed of an NBA championship, this has been a problem since the refs were busted fixing games and only one ref was held complicit.

Grading and comparing modern refs to refs of a few years past and then saying 'Oh, no real major change! the refs are doing good' when this is an ongoing problem is the biggest insult to the sport of basketball.

When you have NBA refs making public claims that '95% of the calls are correct'.. Where is the fine for that statement? Because that statement is B/S

pippendagimp · Feb 19, 2018

the fact that nothing is being addressed in any way indicates the league office has some vested interest in maintaining bad calls being the norm. perhaps for vegas lines, perhaps as a tool for promoting the teams they want to, perhaps for some other reason yet to be discerned

Ziggy · Feb 19, 2018

OTMax said: ↑

Hahahahah what a joke, so basically more talking and not getting to any solutions like what most people "do" as a job.
Click to expand...

In statements like that one, the word "enhanced" doesn't even mean anything.

Bruce Bowen · Feb 19, 2018

players don't make all their shots and neither do officials... so what is the acceptable miss rate for ofiicials?

fried rich · Aug 26, 2018

Erbnwarfare · Aug 26, 2018

fried rich said: ↑

Click to expand...

Lol would be funny if he bought a Tony Brothers look-a-like to rig the game for him.

don grahamleone · Aug 26, 2018

fried rich said: ↑

Click to expand...

That would be funny if it was funny.

hakeem94 · Aug 28, 2018

fried rich said: ↑

Click to expand...

that dude in the blue shirt's comment reminded me of harden after game 6 , 'he kinda tugged me a bit'

Forums

Adam Silver on officiating issues

OTMax Member

HAYJON02 Contributing Member

HAYJON02 Contributing Member

Realjad Contributing Member

pippendagimp Member

Ziggy QUEEN ANON

Bruce Bowen Member

fried rich Member

Erbnwarfare Member

don grahamleone Contributing Member

hakeem94 Member

Share This Page

About ClutchFans

Rockets Content

Support ClutchFans!