Tag: NBA Referees

NBA refs suddenly have sponsored Emirates patches on their uniforms and fans weren’t happy

After the NBA’s All-Star break, officials have a new look on their jerseys.

After the NBA’s All-Star break, officials have a new look on their jerseys.

The league unveiled a partnership with Emirates on Feb. 8, the same day as the NBA’s trade deadline. They announced the airline as the title sponsor for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup.

Also included in that press release was the news that the Emirates logo will appear on all NBA referee jerseys, starting with the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game. All referees in the WNBA (beginning in 2025) and G League (starting in 2024-25) will also wear Emirates patches.

Emirates is currently a sponsor across various international sports properties, including referee jersey branding for the FA Cup, Cricket World Cup, and the Rugby World Cup.

Although the news was picked up by several outlets, fans may have missed this information if they were focused on the winners and losers of the trade deadline. After the league returned from the brief All-Star break, though, it did not take long for fans to notice the sponsorship:

Here is more from Chris Herring (via ESPN):

“The move comes at a time when NBA viewership is up from last year on the major networks and at a time when the league’s referees are being shown on television far more than in the past.

Television cameras generally zoom in on lead officials as they finalize their rulings over an in-arena microphone following coach’s challenges, where referees review replays of debatable calls — a process that often takes minutes at a time. The number of reviews has increased in recent years, as league stakeholders voted in 2023 to allow clubs a third challenge if a coach requests and is successful with his first two tries.”

Now that the NBA patches are public, though, fans shared their thoughts:

Layup Lines: NBA’s heightened ‘transition take foul’ penalty is a great idea…if the refs let it be

This can be either really good or really bad.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

There aren’t many things in sports better than an NBA game played without a lot of whistles and play stoppages. Add in two of the league’s best teams clicking at a high level, and I’m locked in.

Lately, though, those games seem fewer and farther between. Between the annoying replay reviews of flagrant fouls and players flopping to draw personal fouls, it feels like the referees are as much a part of the game as anything — so much more than they need to be.

That’s why news Tuesday that the NBA’s board of governors approved plans to heighten the penalty for the “transition take foul” was great to hear. Beginning next season, a transition take foul will result in one free throw and the ball for the team fouled (except for in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime).

This will hopefully encourage teams to stop fouling immediately after turnovers — and maybe even attempt to get back on defense. More importantly, it could eliminate one of the frequent ways game flow is interrupted while also increasing exciting fastbreak opportunities.

More chances to see Ja Morant or Anthony Edwards or Zion Williamson one-on-one with the rim … yes, please.

But I must caution, there is one potential pitfall to this rule. The NBA says the transition take foul doesn’t apply if the defender is making a legitimate play on the ball. But as we know, take fouls happen quickly, sometimes immediately after someone gains possession. If referees aren’t able to make that determination in real time — something they haven’t been able to do with flagrant fouls — it could lead to more instant replays instead fastbreaks. That would turn what should be a positive into a negative.

For our sake, let’s hope the referees don’t get this one wrong too.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The No. 4 pick in this year’s draft to the Sacramento Kings, Keegan Murray has been absolutely going off in Summer League. He’s scored at least 20 points in five of six games this summer. The other 13 lottery picks have six such games combined!

My guy Bryan Kalbrosky has more on how Murray is using this summer to show he’s a serious Rookie of the Year contender.

“I’m particularly encouraged by Murray because of the self-creation we have seen from him as a shooter. Murray predominantly shot off the catch while in college, but like Holmgren, we have seen him use the bounce more often as a pro.

Murray has connected on 9 jump shots off the dribble, per Synergy, compared to 13 through all of last season. This is how he is finishing 24.1 percent of his offensive possessions during Summer League, nearly triple his rate as a sophomore at Iowa.

All of that, of course, is without mentioning his defensive playmaking and athleticism.”

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Keith Birmingham/The Orange County Register via AP

Washington Mystics (-205) at Phoenix Mercury (+4.5, -200), O/U 158.5, 10 PM ET

Elena Delle Donne is enjoying her best stretch of the season, scoring 26 points in consecutive games for the Mystics. Both resulted in double-digit road wins, so I think they’ll be able to get it done again in Phoenix. The Mercury have lost three of their last four.

Shootaround

— Hawkeyes wire has more on how fortunate Keegan Murray feels to have landed in Sacramento, from his interview with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.

— The NBA offseason is far from over, so HoopsHype has a ranking of the top 10 trade rumors.

— Speaking of trades, here are 9 wild Donovan Mitchell trades from the Trade Machine.

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Draymond Green reacts to the controversial late foul calls in Heat vs. Bucks Game 2

Following the Heat’s game two win over the Bucks, Draymond Green chimed in on Twitter with a reaction to the late controversial foul calls.

On Wednesday, the Miami Heat took a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Steady performances from Goran Dragic and Tyler Herro pushed Erik Spoelstra’s squad past Giannis Antetokounmpo in game two. However, the game will be remembered for a pair of controversial foul calls in the final moments of the contest.

With 7.7 seconds remaining, the Heat led the game by three points when Khris Middleton pulled up for a deep attempt from beyond the arc over Dragic. Referee Marc Davis called a foul on the Miami guard, sending Middleton to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game.

Via @SportsCenter on Twitter:

The Bucks All-Star wing knocked down all three free throws, tying the game at 114 with 4.3 seconds remaining. On the next possession, another whistle was blown. As Jimmy Butler pulled up for a jumper at the buzzer, Antetokounmpo was called for a shooting foul.

Via @BleacherReport on Twitter:

With the clock sitting on double-zeros, Butler buried a free throw to seal Miami’s game two victory.

After the game, a member of the Golden State Warriors chimed in on Twitter with thoughts on the “tough” late foul calls. While he’s had his fair share of battles with officiating in the past, Draymond Green tweeted the referees were “probably right” on each call.

Via @Money23Green on Twitter:

Green’s former Golden State teammate Andre Iguodala added four points on 1-of-2 shooting from the field with two rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes against Milwaukee.

Iguodala, Butler and the Heat will lace up for the chance to move to a 3-0 lead in the series against the Bucks on Friday at 3:30 P.M. PT.

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The NBA’s referees began a march to support the player’s protest

The NBA’s referees marched against racism on Thursday in a show of solidarity with the NBA player’s protests.

NBA players took a stand against racism and demanded equality for Black people across America by not playing in any games on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday morning, the NBA’s officials made sure the players weren’t standing alone.

Instead of remaining silent on the issue, the NBA’s referees decided to host a march on the NBA’s bubble campus in support of the players’ protests against racism and police brutality.

They all met up early on Thursday morning, and at 9 a.m. at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort, they began a march around the campus. It wasn’t just NBA officials, either. Team attendants and others who were living on the NBA’s campus during their restart also attended.

This is big. It’s a major show of solidarity with the players from the officials. Good on them for taking a stand.

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