In his post, the Chairman made some great points about how the NBA needs to clean up the officiating. Now let’s focus on the other half of the equation: the players.
Bad calls are made in every game. Referees make mistakes and until we have super robots that will make perfect calls every time, this human error will continue to be part of the game. Everybody knows this. Everybody understands this. So why do some NBA players (and coaches) insist on acting like toddlers whenever a call doesn't go their way? The demonstrative gesturing and the excessive whining have got to stop, not only for the good of the league but also for the good of the game.
Before we go any further, let me clarify that I'm not against players disagreeing with questionable calls. I believe that every player has a right to discuss a call with the referee... in a professional manner. Everyone is capable of doing this. Many NBA players do behave like grown-ups, but just as many do not.
This problem is partially the league's fault. After all, the league has many bogus unwritten rules that enable such behavior. My favorite is the concept of "superstars/veterans earning calls." This is the idea that if a rookie successfully draws a charge against a star player, it may still be called a blocking foul unless it's really, really, obviously an offensive foul. This is also the idea that certain players are entitled to taking extra steps in the lane without getting called for traveling, and others are allowed to shuffle their feet while setting screens. I'm no lawyer, but when I look at the rules, I'm pretty sure that a charge is a charge, traveling is traveling, and that a moving pick is something that happens when you set a pick while you're still moving. Rules are rules, and they should be applied equally to everyone, from the shiniest stars to the scrubbiest scrubs. The inequality in the application of the rules leads to players feeling even more entitled to getting their way; after all, they're professional athletes and already have plenty of self-entitlement. Stars think they deserve calls, veterans think that their veteran status has earned them more leeway, and everyone else wants to keep testing the waters to see if he's earned his stripes yet.
"It's called a CRAB DRIBBLE! Look it up!"
Image Cred: AP
Image Cred: AP
When it comes to playing basketball, NBA players are the best of the best. Everyone who loves and aspires to play the game watches and emulates the pros. Therefore, NBA player behavior shapes the way the game is played everywhere else. MJ's fashion choices on the court led to the demise of the short short. Allen Iverson's dominance spawned an entire generation of cocky short guys taking tons of bad shots and not passing. This isn't a Charles Barkley role model thing; the influence is real. I can't tell you how many times I've had to stand around on a playground while a grown-ass man insists on arguing an inconsequential call like he's Wesley Snipes in the opening of White Men Can't Jump. I woke up early and came out here to play some basketball. If I wanted to see people argue, I'd watch Jerry Springer... or, unfortunately, the NBA. Players, professional and otherwise, need to learn that excessive arguing is not okay. It is unsportsmanlike and, ultimately, it makes the game less fun.
Therefore, I think the league should take two measures to help deal with this problem. First, the league needs to put its foot down on "earning calls." Treat everybody the same; it's a very American concept that we can all get behind. Second, encourage officials to hand out more technicals to players who whine too much. In the short term, the increase in stoppage of play will be annoying, but in the long term, it will help to curb the problem. Technical free throws (and suspensions) are costly, and coaches hate them. If a player does something his coach hates, that player will get an earful about it (and, in some cases, lose playing time).
While watching Summer League last week, I kept hearing about how every player has had to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NBA game. With these changes, every player will just have to adjust to one more thing: acting like an adult when you have a disagreement. In the words of Detective John Kimball: "STOP WHINING!"
"Shhh!"
Image Cred: AP
Image Cred: AP
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