why don't the refs call things on certain players?

Question

i've noticed while watching the game for many years that the refs won't call anything(if rarely) on a player if you are a big name: ie: Shaq,Kobe,Wade,James

do the refs just look the other way when they take like 5-7 steps with the ball? i mean one of them could punch another player and nothing will happen.


so why don't they ref as fairly as possible.

Answer 1

3 things

1. A lot of times certain players get or don't get calls based on the record they build for themselves over a period of time. For example, 9 times out of 10 (a healthy) D Howard can flat out jump over people so he won't really get called for going over people's backs, or Bruce Bowen having built a record for being a superior defender gets the benefit of the doubt on a lot of the contact that takes place when he is gaurding someone. On the other side of it Rasheed Wallace has built of record saying/doing things to get technical fouls, so now since that is the pattern he has established for himself it doesn't take much for refs to hit him with a technical on actions they may let Lebron or Wade slide on. So your record/reputation has a lot to do with it.

2. And then of course it is a business so the ref that calls traveling on Lebron James when he is on a one on none fastbreak on a nationally televised game in Madison Square Garden will be working high school games next year. So yeah thats a big part of it too.

3. and then the refs are just humans too, so they miss things, might get personal with players or at time might just be in awe of the action and get caught up being a fan for a couple seconds. Or all of the above.

Answer 2

most refs are reluctant to throw out a star necause of theyre influence over the crowd and over the rest of the team
the ref does care about his popularity; if he chucks out a star or any popular player hes not gonna have alot of love from the crowd
and if that happens, hes under a lot of heat when the NBA investigates, because they love to so that way it can get to the headlines
and yes, they do watch
and if they dont, then their shitty refs
most do, which is why Wade has problems with his turnovers, just like almost any other star because they hold the ball so much more than a role player
and when physical cheap contact happens, the crowd will give the signal as to what happened, and usually the refs just give a late call
and if the refs dont call, the players will let them know
and in case of an altercation, stars dont take the bigger heat because of that stated above, and because theyre the team leaders and can take the refs.
Look at the Ray Allen-Kenyon Dooling altercation
Kenyon Doolings pullin Allens jersey, and then catches him accross the face with an elbow AND pushes him down and then drains a three
afterwards, Allen tackles Dooling and starts punching him
and then both are ejected, Allen takes a one game suspension, Dooling three, because the NBA doesnt want a big fuss over it, just a news story to sell give to the press

Answer 3

First things first. The great NBA players who slash to the basket (Kobe, James, Wade, etc.) do not travel that often. Everyone in the world has this idea that NBA players travel all the time and they don't know how to dribble. Its actually the exact opposite. They are so good at dribbling in fact that they know how to bend the rules and manipulate things. They know the last second they can pick up their dribble to cover extra distance, they take two extralong strides (which is allowed), and then hang in the air for seemingly impossible amounts of time, tuck their legs in to hit the ground later and then get rid of the ball a slpit second before they hit the ground. Of course there are times when they do travel, but its just gotten to the point where the players have found many more ways of covering ground and other little things they can do to create an advantage.

Answer 4

Because of a player's media image. Refs are pretty gullible and will go along with whatever's written in the papers or what's being talked about on TV.

The likes of Wayne Rooney and Duncan Ferguson get sent off all the time because of their media image, yet Alan Shearer was a fouling b'stard and always got away with it. Why? Because he was a Mr Clean family man in the eyes of the media.

Answer 5

They always call peoples names out, but you just can't hear it and the commentator sometime doesn't say it. I am saying that because you will see a few people or just one person come to the ref when he blows his whistle.

Answer 6

For the same reason they never called anything on MJ all those years: favoritism and star power.

And travelling, in general, is never called in the NBA.

Answer 7

because if they make a faule they have to stop playing if they get a more then one pont

Answer 8

Those guys have earned there right to travel.

Answer 9

they dont wanna be hated