Thank you for taking the time to send your comments and suggestions
regarding NBA officiating in the playoffs.
We appreciate your passion and your desire to see your team perform well in
the postseason. NBA officials have no bias or preferences other than
getting the calls right. They make calls without regard to particular
players, coaches or teams. Incidentally, for every letter we receive
accusing officials of favoring a particular team over another, we receive
an equal number alleging exactly the opposite.
This season, our 36 playoff officials averaged more than 16 years of
professional experience each and, combined, have officiated more than
20,000 regular-season games. All of them have called playoff games before
this season. Referees, however, are human; and with the high-paced action
on the court – which intensifies during the playoffs – even the best
officials can miss calls.
Our officials are the most scrutinized workforce in America. The league
office tracks every call and analyzes every game, and only the best and
experienced officials work in playoff games and move on to each round.
The integrity of the game has always been at the forefront of the league's
business. Accusations that the NBA and its officials favor any team or are
conspiring to create certain matchups are baseless. We wish every team
well, but it is the nature of competitive sports that there will be a
winner and a loser in every contest. Blaming the officials is a natural
thing to do for people who don’t like the outcome of any contest. We will
continue to make every effort and investment to develop, train and equip
our officials so that they get every call right.
Thank you for taking the time to share your comments and suggestions, and
thank you for your interest in the NBA.
Sincerely,
JD Moore
Fan Relations
National Basketball Association
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