NBA players complaining about refs? That’s like basketball itself—timeless. So, when Adam Silver joked about dropping the complaints if he were a player, the laughter said it all. Even he knew that was wishful thinking. Arguing calls is in the sport’s DNA, from rookie camps to the Finals. It’s the background noise of every gym, every playground, and every game. Safe to say, silence isn’t coming anytime soon.

Active discussions on game officiating will always be out and about, even during the NBA All-Star Weekend. A major credit for this goes to Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard who are using their usually measured voices to express a basic demand: There’s a need for players to have more freedom on the court and for officiating to be clearer and more transparent.

However, Adam Silver is choosing to ignore some things for now as he is dealing with certain internal issues. And well, it has everything to do with the NBA referees. Following Steph’s public demand, the Commissioner had to clear his stance. “Everyone in this room is familiar with human resources issues,” Silver said. “And nobody necessarily wants to have their employment record published. I think we just have to find the right balance there.”

The NBA keeps its referee evaluations under wraps—no public scorecards, no big reveals. Instead, the real clue? Playoff assignments. Land in the top 36, and you’re doing fine. Make the Finals, and you’re elite. But full transparency? That’s a no-go. No major league dares, and Adam Silver isn’t about to start.

However, the NBA hears the complaints—well, sort of. The league introduced replay reviews, enabled coach’s challenges, and released last-two-minute reports for fans to dissect. A step toward transparency, but not quite an open book. Could more be coming? Never say never.

Adam Silver takes a different route from Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard’s plea

“I would probably want to see the refs’ grading system probably, let that be more public, the same kind of way our stats are shown on a nightly basis,” Stephen Curry said Saturday during Media Day at All-Star Weekend. “Not to make their job any harder because it’s a really hard job,” Steph further said. “But it would be interesting from a fan and player perspective to know why a ref is a great ref and how they kind of rate their system a little bit.”

Curry’s logic makes sense. Players’ stats are out the second the buzzer sounds—analyzed, praised, or ripped apart. That’s the deal with being a star. So why not hold officials to the same standard? According to him, his push for transparency isn’t about drama—it’s about fairness. Meanwhile, Dame Lillard chipped in saying: “I would change something about the fining system. I feel like we get penalized for just about everything that comes with the emotions of the game.”

Thus, Adam Silver has a suggestion for the players seeking transparency. He said: “I just will say that we welcome direct feedback from all players in the league, whether they’re top players or not.” The math is simple. Bring your complaints to the Commissioner’s office and he will try his best to find a solution. Because the higher-ups are always looking for ways to make things easy.

“It is an ongoing discussion, and we’re always looking to improve officiating,” Silver further noted. “NBA players are members of our competition committee, so we talk directly about it there, and we have our own conversations with Andre Iguodala and the Players Association about how we potentially can improve officiating”

Thus, transparency in officiating? It’s a work in progress. However, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard want more. And Adam Silver is preaching balance, while referees stay protected. The NBA has made moves—reviews, challenges, reports—but full exposure? Not happening yet. Still, the conversation isn’t dying down. Players will keep pushing, the league will keep tweaking, and the refs? Well, they’ll keep blowing whistles, whether fans like it or not.