LeBron James vs NBA Referees: How Lakers Star’s Jibe at Jaylen Brown’s Controversial Call Opens 2 Decades Old Wounds

In recent weeks, the discourse surrounding the level of officiating in the NBA has reached a fever pitch. Calls for better accountability only grew louder, particularly after the clutch game-tying shot by LeBron James against the Timberwolves was controversially classified as a 2-pointer instead of a 3-pointer. However, there’s little to suggest anything has changed, two weeks after that infamous incident.

Following another questionable decision by the referees during the Pacers vs Celtics game, LeBron publicly vented his frustrations. However, this isn’t anything new, as LeBron has been on the receiving end of several questionable decisions in the past.

LeBron James and his tumultuous history with referees

The highly enthralling game last night was shrouded in controversy, as referees made a questionable decision with 3 seconds on the clock, which handed the Pacers the possession of the ball. They capitalized on it and scored two free throws, dealing the Celtics only their eighth loss of the season. However, the referee’s questionable decision didn’t please LeBron, who expressed his displeasure on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “See what I’m saying! JB clearly got hit in the back of the head. They reviewed the play, just to reverse it and say he didn’t. MAN WHAT!! Good ass game to have an ending like that. And yall see why I be going ape sh*t out there when it happens.”

King James has clashed with the refs on several occasions during his illustrious career, spanning 21 seasons. After the controversial game against the Timberwolves on 30th December, LeBron called out the officiating standards. He said, “I mean, it’s obviously a three. My foot was behind the line. You can see the space between the front of my foot and the three-point line… Stevie Wonder could see that.” 

In another noteworthy incident from January 2023, LeBron found himself on the receiving end of an unfavorable decision. During a fiercely competitive game between the Lakers and the Celtics, Jayson Tatum fouled LeBron James in the dying seconds of regulation time. However, a foul was never given by the referees. The Lakers eventually lost the game in overtime by a scoreline of 125-121.

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However, in the aftermath of the game, crew chief Eric Lewis admitted that the in-game referee made a mistake. He said, “There was contact. At the time, during the game, we did not see a foul. The crew missed the play.” In light of numerous notable officiating errors in recent months, should the NBA reconsider its officiating protocols, or is this simply an inherent aspect of the game? Let us know in the comments below!

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