There is no denying that Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest players to have ever played in the NBA but he was not the easiest guy to get along with either. Kobe expected the same kind of work ethic and relentlessness he had from his teammates and it led to him clashing with a few of them.
Smush Parker was one such individual and the two had some big issues with each other during Parker’s two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and even after that. Kobe once said that Parker shouldn’t have been in the NBA and a year after he left the Lakers in 2007, Parker was out of the league. He is now planning to make a return to the court, not as a player but as a referee.
16-year NBA veteran Smush Parker is working towards a career as a NBA official 🙌
(via @SmushParker21, @madehoops) pic.twitter.com/rMJnk5YEUj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 10, 2023
“16-year NBA veteran Smush Parker is working towards a career as a NBA official”
It is great to see Parker finding joy in this second career of his in basketball. It would also be good if more former players become officials, as they probably will have a better idea of how to handle certain situations on the court. We have seen referees struggle a lot this season and this might change things a bit in the future.
The Referees Have Routinely Come Under Fire From Players This Season
We see referees being put on blast every season, but it seems they’ve been worse than ever before this time around. De’Aaron Fox recently blasted them for missing some calls late in their game against the Golden State Warriors while Dillon Brooks went at them for their failure to control a game against the Warriors.
We have also seen referees be very trigger-happy when it comes to dishing out technical fouls, with Jayson Tatum being on the receiving end earlier this season. Maybe having former players around who understand the emotions of the athletes would ensure that these kinds of incidents don’t happen.
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