• Mark Cuban is not a fan of officiating in the NBA
• In an interview with GQ, Cuban said the game and its players have evolved but the management of officials hasn’t
• Cuban has previously advocated for rule changes that have fallen on deaf ears
Mark Cuban is one of the most outspoken owners the NBA has ever seen. he’s living up to that reputation once again, taking a shot at the stagnation of NBA officiating over the last few decades.
While speaking to GQ, Cuban said modern NBA players are faster and more skilled than before but the NBA’s officiating structure is antiquated and needs to be changed
“The biggest change has been the skill set of the players. They are far more skilled, more athletic, and faster. The game is night-and-day different. What still needs to change? Management of the officiating group. The names have changed. Nothing else has.”
Cuban has had a lot of criticism for the NBA over his two decades of owning the Mavericks. At least Luka Doncic will be encouraged by seeing Cuban’s dislike for referees given his constant battles with officials when he’s playing.
Doncic has previously made money gestures at referees for not giving him calls and is among the league leaders for technical fouls received in the last two seasons.
Mark Cuban Advocated To Change A Particular Rule
Mark Cuban doesn’t just criticize referees and officiating rules for the sake of it. There are clear changes he wants the league to introduce to the rule-set. After reading an article about the modern ‘charge’ rule being out of touch, Cuban went on X/Twitter and advocated for the box to be moved a foot away from the basket to avoid some of the problems the rule has created by being too close to the rim.
“Move the circle further away from the basket. Taking it an extra foot away from the hoop would reduce taking charges on drives dramatically. I’ve asked. Obviously, nothing has changed.”
Cuban also went after referees post a Mavericks win over the Lakers last season, a double-OT classic where both teams were feeling the pain of poor referee decisions. Poor referee decisions ruin games and could have an adverse impact on a team’s seasons. But it seems the league is content with the officials having as much power as they do right now, with them having even more power in the coming season.
Referees Need To Be Held Accountable
The referees in the NBA are rarely held accountable by the league for bad calls or even outright biases. This was seen through the handling of the Eric Lewis controversy. Lewis was an NBA referee who retired out of the blue this summer after fans on social media found accounts linked to the referee where his bias towards the Boston Celtics was visible.
Given Lewis was in charge of the blatant no-call that cost the Lakers a win against the Celtics last season and prompted the referees association to issue an apology, there have to be more instances of him skewing games in Boston’s favor. He was being investigated by the NBA, but his retirement means the investigation will not be continued, meaning nobody will ever know if he actually rigged games. He also will face no reprimand for possibly influencing decisions through his biases.
With new rules going into effect this season which allows referees to hand out technicals for flops, they’re put in an even bigger position to impact the game. Unless the officials are kept in control, the disconnect between them and the players and fans will continue to grow.
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