The game of basketball has changed a lot over the years. From players relying on a few moves to digging deep into their bags, we have seen a lot of rules getting revised over the years. But no matter how strict the rules are, there are going to be cases where the NBA referees will miss the calls.
While it is quite understandable that if it happens sometimes, the issue arises when it starts happening a lot. One of the best examples of this is the refs’ questionable calls on players traveling. Oftentimes players and fans display their frustrations after the refs miss a seemingly obvious call.
This has led to many referees getting a lot of backlash from fans and players alike. Well, former NBA star Gilbert Arenas decided to chime in his two cents on the topic on his Instagram account. Arenas explained it with the help of a few video examples and captioned the post:
“I always try to explain that the nba players is moving so fast that refs can’t keep up, a rule in the rule book VS how it looks in real life is very diff…if u think everyone understands words, ask 6 people what the same Bible verse means (6 different opinions on what they think it means) same with rules. Players are creating MOVES all summer not refs, so the first time a ref sees something it’s in real once the season starts , it could take them months or a year to deem it legal or not, if they deem it illegal, that information has to now be passed down to every ref, so let’s say they targeting (harden/curry/dame) on the same move, refs will have notes and film on that move against those players when they ref (THOSE) players so other players will still get away with the move for a bit longer a ref usually won’t stop a fast break travel if the defense doesn’t create the travel motion so u will tend to see more travels on fast break situations (no need for break downs on when he gather ) 90% of what u think was a travel was travel gathering a ball is a (grey area) decision….Kawhi can (gather) which means full control of the ball with one hand off the bounce, so reffing (when did he have full control) would be harder then others side note ( can u travel at the free throw line?? trust me a ref don’t actually know this answer) the reason they won’t know, no one actually travels at the free throw line so they have never made this call to know it Here’s a rule book rule that doesn’t play out like it’s written in the game (when u drive and throw urself a lob off the backboard #lebronjames) the rule book says (✅it’s considered a shot attempted✅ BUT no one is ever giving a (miss shot/ rebound and putback) on this act ♂️ my point is what u see in the NBA is not always legal becuz it wasn’t called (they miss s**t) , the videos explain exactly what a gather step is and the step back .”
It is quite an impressive explanation by the former Washington Wizards superstar. So as Arenas quite wordily explained, when players are moving so fast it is pretty hard to get the correct calls.
With players like Stephen Curry or LeBron James, who are always improving their skill sets, it is further difficult for the refs to get travel calls on point. Despite the obvious difficulties, hopefully, the refs will find a way to get more correct calls. Otherwise, it only disrupts the flow of the game.
