The NBA's current public persona isn't exactly the greatest of the four major sports.
The Tim Donaghy betting scandal has shed a negative light on the league, although it's been mostly back-page news. The drug problems that plague baseball and football aren't as much of a problem in the NBA, but the maturity of its players is becoming a growing concern on the court.
The adrenaline rushes in an NBA game must be unbelievable for these players. Superstars and bench warmers alike seem to be entranced with the competition on the court. However, enough is enough.
It seems now that 98 percent of foul calls are wrong in terms of the players, and each one is greeted with wide eyes and hands-in-the air expressions. The moaning and groaning has become especially bad in the playoffs, with the thirst of competition at its highest level.
During David Stern's two-week-or-so period of rule changes to sharpen the league's image last season, he stated that players disagreeing with referees is natural, but that they do not need to throw a temper tantrum each time the whistle is blown.
This has apparently been ignored, as players of all teams have taken to berating referees each time they miss or make a shot that was contested. These instances have even been taking place more and more while the clock is running.
The NBA may be the league whose players are most well-known just by their faces. They are a part of the only major sport in the country that doesn't have to cover their faces or heads while competing, adding to the commercial industry of the league.
NBA players are the most well-known athletes in the country as a whole, and the examples they set are highly scrutinized both on and off the court.
"Good guys" such as Tim Duncan and Steve Nash are notorious crybabies. Watch the Spurs and Suns play, and they will disagree with almost every call, creating negative images for the casual fans of the NBA who know these future Hall of Famers to be good people and great players.
Now, these are not the only two players who moan and groan about lack of refereeing or too much of it, but they are some of the most successful players in the league, with two MVP awards each. MVPs are the face of the league, and these players are known as leaders in the NBA and communities in which they play.
Possibly the most annoying and immature on-court player in NBA history is Rasheed Wallace. Seeing him in person is like seeing an episode of South Park.
I've heard him say choice phrases I can't repeat for fear of getting shunned by the editors of this website. It almost appears that he loves b-tching about every call, as he has said publicly that he strives on playing with emotion.
Emotion is one thing, but expressing it negatively is getting older than Dikembe Mutombo; fans of this great league deserve more.
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4 months ago
This is a good article and I couldn't agree with you more. I get tired of seeing these grown @$$ men out there on the court crying after every call. One of the worst to me was Alonzo, if he does something good he flexes after the play to show off his muscles but if you barely touch him, he's on the floor crying for the foul. I'm a huge L.A/Kobe fan and I get tired of seeing him clap his hands in the direction of the officials every time he doesn't get a call to go his way. He's the leagues MVP and the best player on the court today, just play ball and let your game do the talking. Another bad one is Lebron, he'll stand down on the offensive end of the court crying to the refs. while the opposing team is laying the ball up on the other end, CP3 keeps a tissue tucked into his waistband as well. I think the refs allowing all this flopping is a direct link to all the crying. The coaches need to step up with their players and tell them to man-up. In the NBA playing ball is a "Grown Damn Mans Sport", when we ball in the gym or in the park there is no room or no respect given for people that cry. These guys are making millions out there on the court........shut up and play!!!!
4 months ago
Shut up and play is right! Great article.
4 months ago
I agree. Great article, and you bring up some great points. I couldn't agree more!
4 months ago
You are one-hundred percent correct. I watched LeBron James, who is the model for all the NBA wants to be known for, stop and argue with a ref during the last series, as the ball was still in play and going to the other end of the court! If I had done that during my junior basketball days my coach would have been so far up my butt that he could legally ask a university for a grant to search for new forms of life. It's all right if you fell the ref got the call wrong, but as I always say, great teams overcome bad officials.
4 months ago
Mike is right. There's way too much whining, throwing a fit, acting like two-year-olds. Grow up, guys!
4 months ago
I agree completely with this article. However, I think Dikembe came out and said he is sick of the old age jokes!
4 months ago
Big Spurs fan here and I also agree but that is just the way the game is played. I never seen anyone not debate a call on them once or twice. Of course they are, see if they can change it, fall down when barly touched, complain if one lays a finger on him when he is shooting and even the coaches. I watched part of a game of the WNBA and anyone that has a hard time listening to people whine over calls you don't want to watch the WNBA. It isn't the woman, at least I didn't notice any of them saying anything on the first qt. but the coachs, and they are miked, aaahhhhhh, lol. Acting is just part of the game now it seems, who ever is the best at it they get the attention. Funny thing is most of those calls when replayed are right. Some may not be but I would almost bet that 95% or them are.
Tonight I believe you will be seeing alot of that whinning coming from LA. I hope, lol. GO SPURS GO!!!
4 months ago
Well after reading this article I watched for the whinners, lol. And of course seen a bunch of it, well not really a bunch but there was enough, lol. But for me it really doesn't bother me that much being I'm use to it, all teams has them, just some are better than others, hey if that gets the fouls over turned or gets them to the free throw line why not go for it? Lol. GO SPURS GO!!!
4 months ago
Good article. Like Bryan said, shut up and play.
4 months ago
This article is completely correct. Unless it is an obvious or intentional foul, each call made is disputed by both of the team's players and usually their coaches. It only makes them look like babies by complaining about every call that doesn't go their way. I don't know why they haven't realized that the refs never change their call just because you decided to complain to them.
4 months ago
There is a snowball effect, if you do not complain and everybody else does, the refs may think you agree with the call So they feel compelled to complain. I believe there are solutions that would work.
Mike is right about the example being set. The kids that see their heroes acting like this probably are effected in a negative way when it comes to authority figures in all aspects of their lives. Look how much is being written about this one problem.
I wonder if the NBA League, team ownership, coaches and players are aware of how sick we are of the complaining.
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