The NBA officiating has come under fire several times during the 2023-24 season. There have been multiple games decided by referees making the incorrect call in the waning seconds or missing an obvious infraction and not blowing the whistle.
As players adjust to the way referees have been calling games recently, it leads to frustrations boiling over at times on the court. One player who is all to familiar with run-ins involving referees is Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
Green is one of the most penalized players in NBA history when it comes to technicals, flagrant fouls and ejections. He has cost his team championships because of his antics as his reputation precedes him.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Draymond Green, Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors Updates
This season alone he was suspended twice for bizarre actions on the floor. His first suspension stemmed from putting Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves in a chokehold. His second, which was an indefinite suspension, came as a result of striking Phoenix Suns’ center Jusuf Nurkic in the face.
But, on Tuesday night, Green had a bit of a legitimate gripe with the referee crew. He was struck in the mouth by an elbow from Austin Reaves on a layup during the third quarter of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
As Green went to the floor holding his mouth, no whistle was blown. Naturally, he reacted by arguing with the nearest official. After the game, he used his time at the podium to call out NBA referees for what he sees as a double standard.
“Steph was standing there, which was great because he heard how the referee talked to me and he went immediately from talking to me to like, ‘Yo, you can’t talk to him like that,’” Green said. “And I think that’s the wackest part about it; you can say and speak to me however you feel, but if I say something back, it’s a tech. That’s wack to me. You miss a call, [a] guy clubs me across the face and then you like, ‘I don’t want to talk to you! Get out of my face!’ It’s like, ‘Who are you?’ You don’t just get to not talk. You missed a call. You can’t get mad because you missed a call. So it’s a little crazy, but I appreciate the guys being there ’cause it’s a bit frustrating.
“Austin [Reaves] gashed his elbow, hit me in the teeth, and it’s no foul. I get hit in the face every single game, and I get no foul call. I hit somebody in the face, I get thrown under the jail. But when I get hit in the face, we don’t see it. I get hit in the face every single night. I’m not sure one time it’s been called. But I f—ing blow my breath on somebody and we’re reviewing it for a flagrant foul. I don’t get it, it’s crazy to me,” Green said post game.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Draymond Green, Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors Updates
Green looks to have a legitimate gripe on how that play was officiated. We have seen players assessed fouls for similar, and in some situations, even less contact than what he received from Reaves.
But, there is a bit of a double standard for Green as well. Referees know that he is going to be boisterous and argue calls throughout the game. He gets a long leash from some of the referees in the NBA to blow off steam, something not every coach and player is afforded.
However, if he is struck in the face, he should receive the same protection as other players in the league. When it comes to enforcing the letter of the law, he deserves the same treatment when it comes to calling fouls as everyone else.
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