Complaining about referees in the NBA is something that we thought every fanbase indulges in. There’s no fanbase that thinks they get the wrong end of the whistle, especially in tough losses. The reality is, most often, calls swing both ways and ideally should balance out. But this is not consistent, and officiating in the NBA swings wildly.
The Miami Heat received 40 free throws in their last game against the OKC Thunder, making every single one en route to a 1-point win. Naturally, OKC fans were up in arms about this. But which fanbase complains about these calls the most? A graph was released compiling fan reactions to referee calls and fans of the Golden State Warriors complaining about officiating the most.
The fans of the Bulls, Cavaliers, Heat, and Nets complain the most after Golden State, with Hornet fans complaining the least. This is what everyone had to say about this graph.
Twitter InfoGraph shows which NBA fan bases complain about the refs the most
(Via @betonline_ag ) pic.twitter.com/ioqrWo5E6n
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 11, 2023
Hornets fans pic.twitter.com/1z3wOLJhpa
— BetOnline (@BetOnline_ag) January 12, 2023
When the biggest star and best player in the league is 58 in fta this year: pic.twitter.com/wAgpUwQaQA
— ACowNamedStan (@ACowNamedStan) January 11, 2023
Warriors built a dynasty off illegal screens why they crying😭😭
— The CaruShow 🐐 (@BaldMambaSZN) January 11, 2023
Warriors built a dynasty off illegal screens why they crying😭😭
— The CaruShow 🐐 (@BaldMambaSZN) January 11, 2023
Hornets fans just accept their fate
— rennaT (@rennaTcMrennaT) January 11, 2023
Refs hate the warriors though
— a (@gswforIife) January 11, 2023
When said team is ranked last in the league in fta per game: pic.twitter.com/jftvh7gw3u
— ACowNamedStan (@ACowNamedStan) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/JackNovello2/status/1613273476239867905
Of course Warrior fans are at the top 😭💀😭💀
— The Jokić Whisperer 🇮🇪🇺🇸 (@JokicWhisperer) January 11, 2023
Damion Lee getting 14 free throws last night I’d be complaining too and I’m not even a warriors fan lmao
— Jacob Rodriguez ❄️ (@ClutcHovaJ) January 11, 2023
Show the foul shooting discrepancy. You’ll see why
— E ☀️ (@DubMnE) January 11, 2023
That’s because Warriors don’t get any calls 🙄
— zackfoxenjoyer (@gatoradewussy8) January 11, 2023
As a Cavs fan I'm thinking maybe this page was paid off by the refs to slander the Cavs 🤔
— Chad (@Grimasjenkins) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/FrankBurner2/status/1613274028034199552
We "pelicans fans" don't complain as much as I thought. Need to be more. Refs have a perpetual hatred for new orleans teams. Sad, but we used to it now. Smh
— Tedra Covington (@covington_tedra) January 11, 2023
Heat being near the top is hilarious considering Jimmy Butler gets some of the most fake calls I’ve ever seen
— OG Anunoby Addict (@PlayoffBoundNYK) January 11, 2023
Probably cause the average age of warriors fans is 12 and they just started watching basketball no more than 5 years ago
— ☃️ (@1kairuu) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/keesxn/status/1613273947654557696
Us Bulls fans have proof and reasons complain. The nba themselves have admitted to screwing up over in games
— BullsDownBad (@TDevontaT) January 11, 2023
Based on just complaining about the Celtics alone, I thought the bucks would be higher. They just don’t shut up about Marcus Smart’s “flopping defense.”
— Certified Ball Enjoyer (@TOPCFBosCelts) January 11, 2023
https://twitter.com/BrotherAndrej/status/1613273867879055360
Warriors fans are right to feel a little upset this season, as their team is dead last in free throws attempted every game. Stephen Curry is averaging 5.1 free throw attempts per game, not nearly the amount other stars around the league get. However, their offense also doesn’t utilize driving to the rim as often as others, which might skew calls against their favor.
Consistency In NBA Officiating
The reason fans are so divided between accepting referee calls is due to inconsistency by the referees themselves. Certain calls are given on certain possessions that might not reflect on the other end. A game with too many fouls is not entertaining, and it seems officials understand that yet can’t find a consistent model of awarding fouls.
The league needs to reevaluate their fouling laws to make them more ironclad, as games getting decided at the free throw line isn’t something any NBA fan wants, regardless of who you’re supporting. Hopefully, we can find a happy middle ground sooner rather than later.
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