NBA tries to end blow-ups
The NBA announced a five-point initiative yesterday to address the relationship between the league’s referees and its players and coaches – the latest attempt at curbing on-court blow-ups.
‘‘We’re basically just taking a step back from a league perspective, given the pride we have in being a great leader in sports and particularly sportsmanship,’’ Byron Spruell, the NBA’s president of league operations, said in a phone interview. ‘‘So when you think of heavy competition, teamwork, respect, sportsmanship, we’ve really got to focus here [and] now on respect for the game, and respect for each other, frankly.
‘‘We’ve seen a few instances that have not lived up to those standards, those collective standards we have, and so we’ve thought starting a renewed emphasis at this time would be very helpful.’’
The goals are obvious: lessen the tensions between the two sides, give everyone a better understanding of why things are called and abate the increasingly contentious dialogue.
‘‘The pressure on all of us in the NBA has increased incredibly over the last few years,’’ said Monty McCutchen, who was the NBA’s top-rated referee until he was promoted last month to the vice president in charge of referee development and training. ‘‘From that standpoint, I think what’s more important than how we got there under the changing landscape we all find ourselves in is how we are going to move forward and how are we going to find a common ground and a common language that will allow us to meet in the middle.’’
The National Basketball Players Association and the Nationals Basketball Referees Association already had scheduled a meeting during next month’s All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. But following two more high-profile incidents this week – Los Angeles Clippers Coach Doc Rivers and his top assistant, Mike Woodson, were ejected in the final seconds of the loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant received his fourth ejection of the season in the waning moments of a victory over the New York Knicks – the NBA decided things needed to start changing immediately.
Durant, who criticised referee James Williams after the game, apologised the next day. He welcomed the dialogue, noting that the biggest issue is consistency, particularly with how the rules are being applied.
‘‘That’s the only thing that needs to be done,’’ Durant said. ‘‘The relationships are what they are. We’re grown men. We can figure that out. But it’s just that gray area that we are in as far as the rules on the court, and how we are supposed to play in certain areas.
‘‘That’s all it is. It’s just about the rules. I don’t think it’s about the relationships, because it’s not personal. I don’t think anybody on any team in any arena is going home upset with the refs or thinking about the refs, and I don’t think any ref is going home upset with a player.
‘‘I think it’s just the heat of the moment. Some [stuff] may happen, but it’s part of the game.’’
The Washington Post