The Los Angeles Lakers‘ 125-108 Game 2 loss against the OKC Thunder on Thursday night generated a lot of chatter over officiating as fans and experts complained about the Lakers getting the short end of the stick when it came to the referee’s whistle. LA is down 2-0 against the reigning champions in the second round, with Lakers coach JJ Redick expressing his dissatisfaction with the referees during a heated post-game press conference.
Fadeaway World had a chance to speak to NBA legends Isiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins during their recent trip to India for the second edition of BudX NBA House, which will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on May 9 and 10.
Both stars reacted to the mounting officiating concerns in the NBA, with Cousins making it clear that changes are necessary in the offseason, while Thomas calls for better consistency between the three NBA officials on the court.
Ishaan Bhattacharya, Fadeaway World: “Both of you played in different eras, and what happened in Game 2, a lot of fans, the coaches, even the players have come out and criticized the officiating as being a little too soft. So, given the experiences both of you have, Zeke, you played in the hand-check era, Boogie, you played in the modern era, what do you think is happening with officiating? Do you think it’s boosting the game or negatively impacting the game?”
DeMarcus Cousins: “Well, officiating’s always been a problem for the players. So, I mean, it’s a part of the game. One thing this league has shown is to make adjustments as far as how they allow the refs to ref the game and how the players can deal with the refs throughout the game. So, even in my 12-year career, I’ve seen changes over the years. I’m sure Zeke can speak on it as well. It’s been a change since he played in the league. I think it’ll be a lot of open discussions on it after the season is over. Obviously, it’s something that’s been a priority this season and the previous. I don’t look at it as something that’ll be swept under the rug. We’re in the midst of the playoffs right now, so it’s kind of something you just have to deal with in the moment. But, with as much as this topic has been voiced this season, I’m pretty sure it’s something that’ll be discussed in the off-season, and there will be some changes made.”
Isiah Thomas: “And I would say, just to piggyback on that, what all players want is consistency across the board. You have three officials out on the floor, and sometimes they are not in sync with each other. One official is calling a game one way, and the other is calling one way, and the other is calling another way. So, what the players and the coaches and even the fans are always demanding is that when you go to the arena to watch the game or when you watch it on television, the one thing that you want from the officials is consistency across the board. You want them all calling the same game the same way. And when you get that, that’s when the players are allowed to adjust and play.”
Cousins and Thomas both seemed to be on the side that there’s a problem with officiating in the modern NBA. Cousins wants to see some reform regarding the officiating we’ve seen over the last two seasons in the offseason, while Thomas thinks the rule-set can suffice, provided the referees call the games with consistency.
Every NBA game has one team or the other feeling hard-done by the referees, but when it happens on a stage like the Playoffs, it creates a lot more chatter. We analyzed multiple controversial clips from this clash and saw that there clearly were inconsistencies in how the game was called for the Lakers compared to OKC.
The increased attention on this situation will likely lead to the officials taking some corrective action for Game 3 in Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
*BUDX NBA House is a high-energy, immersive fan experience celebrating the intersection of basketball, music, style, and culture. Cousins and Thomas will coach the Celebrity 3×3 game. Sacramento Kings mascot Slamson, the Kings Dancers, and the Kings’ dunk team will also be performing at the event.*
