Silver: No issues with officiating as refs face ‘enormous pressure’

NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes there are no issues with the officiating methods of his league’s refereeing despite recent outcry from All-Stars, broadcasters, and fans.

Silver expressed empathy for the NBA’s disparaged umpires who, like the players themselves, are adjusting to the league’s new normal that was born out of necessity from the repercussions of COVID-19.

“First of all, in terms of the data, which we obviously look very closely at, there’s nothing aberrational happening, whether in terms of accuracy of calls or number of technicals on the floor,” Silver said in the global media conference during the NBA All-Star in Atlanta 

“But I will say everyone is under enormous pressure this year. The officials aren’t exempt from that. They are also operating under our sort of work quarantine protocols. One of the things we’ve learned over the last year is that the mental stress is incredibly tough on everyone involved. I think in some cases you have some younger officials, too, who maybe are still trying to calibrate their relationships with players.”

At times, the relationships have looked unsalvageable. Such was the case following a recent thriller between the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers – the current leaders in their respective conferences – which ended with Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell getting ejected in overtime after receiving two technical fouls. 

The 76ers trailed most of the contest but rallied to win by 8, 131-123. (READ: NBA fines Jazz stars for ripping officials)

Mitchell did not hold back in his criticism of the officiating afterwards, eventually resulting in a $25,000 fine. The same punishment was handed to his teammate and fellow All-Star, Rudy Gobert, who felt his team received the short end of the stick with foul calls. 

For context: Utah was whistled for 24 fouls and received 19 free throw attempts, while Philadelphia was called on 17 fouls and shot 35 free throws. 

“I’m never ever one to blame a ref, blame an official, but this is getting out of hand,” Mitchell said, and also adding:

“But the fact that we continuously get screwed in a way by this, it’s getting f—— ridiculous.”

“Our guys are not able to get calls everybody else in the f—— league gets. We know we are the Utah Jazz, and maybe some people don’t want to see us go as far as we can go, but it’s disappointing,” Gobert echoed Mitchell’s feelings.

Silver, at least right now, is more worried about the communication between referees and players more than what’s assessed a foul or not.

“I’m not particularly concerned necessarily with the calls on the floor. I’m always concerned about the members of our larger community and how they’re interacting with each other,” said the commissioner, who’s had favorable reviews in his seven-year tenure. 

“I think it’s also the case, it’s not a secret, maybe where a little bit of the shorter fuses come in, is that when you have arenas that are packed with 19,000 people and you can hardly hear the person next to you, a player may be used to saying something directed at an official that the official wouldn’t typically hear. 

“Then the issue becomes, in largely empty arenas, when they do hear what the player says, how is it they should react?”

Answering that question has warranted serious discussion for important decision-makers of the NBA, a multi-billion business which, like other corporations, has seen a decrease in revenue over the last year.

“I think it’s something we’re talking about in the league office. I think sometimes when I hear the commentators after the fact talking about a technical that’s called on the floor, what they’re saying is very different than what I see in the report that is on my desk. I’m not anxious to necessarily repeat those words, but everybody has to find the right balance in a pandemic and be mindful of the stress.”

On a lighter note, Silver feels the talent of the league’s players have been on full-display given the current circumstances, and their performance has yielded excitement for fans.

Simply put, the commissioner feels that “the basketball has been off the charts.”

“That’s what’s so interesting,” the 58-year-old commissioner added. “I think we saw it first in the bubble. That was attributed to the fact that the players maybe were getting more sleep, rest, weren’t traveling through multiple time zones. To me, that has continued this season.

“Despite everything that is gone on, despite a little chippiness maybe around the officiating, I think overall the quality of the games have been great. I’m pleased about that.” – Rappler.com