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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

LeBron James didn’t waste any words or breath in calling out the referee for snubbing his three-pointer. What could have tied the game turned out to be a two-pointer because his foot was on the three-point line. Furious that such a call was made, he lashed out.

The Los Angeles Lakers were trailing by three points with less than three seconds left on the clock when the King made his shot. Only to be disappointed. Talking about the incident, he mercilessly trolled the officials, saying that even Stevie Wonder, the blind American singer-songwriter, could see the gap between his foot and the three-point line.

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“Stevie Wonder could see that, champ,” Bron said. For added measure, he comically adds, “Someone over there with a ham sandwich made the call.” Of course, the King wasn’t just going to let it go. There was a replay and review called. But unfortunately, the officials still ruled it as a two-pointer.

Based on the clips available online, it seems like Bron’s foot was initially behind the arc. But as he was about to release the shot, his toe was over the line. As per the NBA Pool Report, it seems like there wasn’t enough evidence for the 2-point call to be turned into a 3-pointer. And so it stands as a two-pointer.

Interestingly enough, LeBron James has a higher winning percentage when Tony Brothers officiates. The same Crew Chief who announced the final decision in tonight’s game. But not everyone has the best of relationships with the referees. Particularly this season.

The unending player-referee frustrations in the NBA

When talking about issues players have had with referees, the first duo that comes to our mind this season is Chris Paul and Scott Foster. Dating back to CP3’s time with the Clippers, their tension reached its peak this season. Handing him back-to-back technical fouls for arguing a call, Paul had later revealed that it was personal.

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Read More: Stephen Curry vs LeBron James 3-Point Shooting Percentage: Lakers’ 39YO Ousts 2x Shooting Contest Champ at His Own Game

When there is trouble in paradise, we cannot go without mentioning Draymond Green. From simple fouls to ejection and the final blow, indefinite suspension, the league has felt ‘DrayMagic’ in all its glory. But the one “dumb” foul that probably everyone agrees to is during the Cavs game earlier this month.

Donovan Mitchell had elbowed Green voluntarily in the late third quarter and was handed a common foul. That led to a fight breaking out, which resulted in a flagrant foul for previous possessions. And an ejection. Of course, no one was happy with the outcome. But that didn’t change the ruling either.

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These two are just the first incidents of player-referee altercations that jump out to us immediately. It looks like such incidents will continue to happen. Hopefully, there will be some kind of a decision made before this gets out of hand!

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