Illustration by Gemma Fa-Kaji
Recently in the National Basketball Association (NBA), there has been significant tension in relationships between the players and the NBA officials. Any serious basketball fan would be aware of the incidents, as they seem to take place at least once every game.
The first notable incident occurred when Anthony Davis, a power forward for the New Orleans Pelicans, was ejected for the first time in his career. Not long after, Lebron James was also ejected for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, fiery Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors has wasted no time accumulating eleven technical fouls. From marquee players to lesser known players, this tension between players and officials exists across the board. This leaves fans wondering: what is happening?
The frequency of confrontations has led to normally relaxed players becoming increasingly uptight and combative, as illustrated by an incident between the Warriors’ Shaun Livingston and NBA official Courtney Kirkland. The incident involved Livingston approaching Kirkland after a call and yelling at him. When Kirkland turned to confront him, Livingston bumped heads with Kirkland. Livingston was then led off the court by security guards.
Kevin Durant became the third Warrior to receive disciplinary actions, being ejected for two technicals that he viewed as “biased.” Although the Warriors won that game, he still felt cheated out of the last two and a half minutes of the game and called the referee a “jerk.” Despite apologizing for his short temper, two days later he received a fine of $15,000.
While the Warriors have been heavily involved in this conflict, the issue pertains to the entire league. Fortunately, an informal meeting between a select few NBA players and NBA officials will likely take place during All-Star Weekend in mid-February. The goal will be to come up with a resolution that satisfies both the players and the referees. Despite the fact that it may not completely fix the issue, it will at least be able to alleviate the tension, and maybe help the players and the referees find common ground.