The NBA referees are often under fire for some of the questionable calls and officiating we’ve seen regularly over the years. While the criticism of the officiating is warranted, it seems as if there are superstars in the NBA who want them to be held accountable on a public note.
While the league claims to hold their officials accountable already through their own internal review system, no one truly knows what that might actually entail. We have zero detail about what the officials are doing, how they are being graded, or what the criteria might be.
This has led to many players, including the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, and fans questioning that exact grading system or at least being curious about what goes on in that process.
Stephen Curry Wants NBA Officiating Transparency
Curry is one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. He’s also one of the worst officiated stars in the NBA.
It’s no secret that Curry takes a lot of contact throughout games without receiving calls, as this has been discussed many times over the years by fans and pundits alike.
Curry and head coach Steve Kerr have both been vocal in the past about the NBA officials, and the former took the time to voice his thoughts about the referees and the internal grading system that is used.
Steph Curry: “I'd want to see the refs grading system probably. Let that be more public, the same way our stats are shown.”
Adam Silver: “The officials have their own union… human resources issues, nobody necessarily wants to have their employment record published.”
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“I’d want to see the refs grading system probably. Let that be more public, the same way our stats are shown.”
What Curry is asking for doesn’t seem unreasonable. NBA players have every detail of what they do made public, including advanced statistics. Curry, the NBA’s current leading jersey seller asking for transparency in how the referees are graded seems like a fair ask.
However, not everyone agrees.
Adam Silver Says Officiating Transparency Isn’t Likely
While Curry’s concerns are valid, NBA commissioner Adam Silver seems to think it wouldn’t be necessary or possible to have the grading system made public. He spoke about it recently with a peculiar answer.
“The officials have their own union… human resources issues, nobody necessarily wants to have their employment record published.”
This is an odd rebuttal to Curry’s point, considering the players have their own union as well, but everything they do is broadcast to the public. It seems as if Silver wants to protect the officials and keep things private, which is fine, but the reasoning here just doesn’t resonate.
Over the years, many have wondered if the referees were getting away with making questionable decisions or if they were being protected by the league for various reasons. While there’s no official proof of that being the case, Silver’s answer doesn’t quell any concerns.
Will there ever be transparency in how the NBA officials are graded? It doesn’t look likely.
