The NBA Referee Lockout: David Stern Sees All the Angles

David Stern is a man that looks at all of the angles. As a leader, he does not make decisions on whims. His choices always come down to what is best for the NBA brand.

That brand was nearly shattered when a rogue official named Tim Donaghy was accused, indicted, and is now serving time for betting on NBA games. In a game that is as difficult to officiate as basketball, the integrity of the highest pro league was nearly compromised.

Stern has the memory of an elephant, so when the contract for the NBA officials came up this summer, he saw that he had an angle that he could exploit. There is an angle where he can keep the current cast of NBA refs and pay them less. The union for the NBA refs voted 57-0 to not allow the NBA to phase out lump sum severance payments upon retirement.

A smart man might think that without a job there is nothing to retire from in the first place.

Here is the angle that David Stern sees with clarity:

He can no longer trust this group of referees. He claimed that Donaghy was a rogue official, but that does not seem to be how he really feels. He wants the refs to take a pay cut for the actions that shamed his league. The NBA employs the 60 best officials in the world, but is there a dramatic difference in the level of the next 60 that would replace the locked out officials?

When referees do a good job they are anonymous. The goal of any official for any game is to make the right calls and let the players decide the outcome.

David Stern sees the angle that the replacement refs can soon become the regular refs. There has not been a huge blown call so far this preseason. Stern can push this lockout into the season and as the games pile up and the refs stay anonymous, his bargaining stance improves.

The players of the NBA have called for the regular refs to return but other than that, there has not been an outcry for the regular refs to return.

David Stern is liking what he is developing here. He can keep the best refs in the world for less pay or he can have the next best group of refs for less pay. Stern might even be pulling for the replacement refs to become the permanent refs as that would end all of the affiliations these current refs have to Tim Donaghy.

My suggestion to the referees union is to take the deal offered. Once the regular season starts this new group of refs will be hungry to prove they are qualified to call the NBA game and they won't miss any severance payments upon their retirement.

David Stern sees all of the angles and that is bad news for the referees union.