Steph Curry’s expression said it all. As the Rockets celebrated their NBA Cup quarterfinal win, the Warriors star stood there, looking at reporters as if searching for confirmation: ‘Was it?’ It was the latest in a long line of officiating decisions that left Curry and his team frustrated—not just because of one call, but because of a pattern that seems to follow him. And this time, it was a really (really) painful one!

Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors thought they had dodged a bullet when Curry initially sat out with back pain. They rested him, won without him, and hoped his return against Toronto would be seamless. For 25 minutes, he looked in rhythm. And then, the worst thing happened.

During one possession in the third quarter, Curry attracted two defenders and dished out a pass to the open man. Sadly, he became sandwiched in between the Raptors, landing awkwardly on his tailbone. The two-time MVP was immediately in pain and escorted to the locker room. It was diagnosed as a pelvic contusion.

The announcers related to the agony Curry must be feeling. “He’s in pain, You just feel for him, you pray for him. You know he is going to do everything he can to heal up and get all the treatment,” one of them said. With the postseason right around the corner, the agony is real. However, while his back will improve, what about the officials watching Curry?

As the announcer rightfully pointed out, “It was a foul that was missed somehow. We’re not surprised with Steph unfortunately,”. Amen! Truer words were never spoken. Or as Kerr has said: “That’s Steph Curry. You can’t miss that.” This isn’t just about one missed call. The issue is systemic.

As much as players might lobby for whistles on minimal contact, something is off when Stephen Curry—one of the most heavily guarded players in the league—is averaging just 4.2 free throws per game. Defenders drape themselves over him, and having an ignorant whistle allows them to do more outside of the books.

Curry’s frustration has only grown over the years, with multiple instances of questionable officiating. In the NBA Cup loss to the Kings, a crucial no-call on a potential game-winning shot left the Warriors furious. Even in last year’s playoffs, ‘The Chef’ was on the receiving end of multiple uncalled hacks. The Raptors game was just the latest chapter in a long history of officials letting defenders get away with more against him.

And it’s clear that these non-calls are getting to Steph!

When asked at All-Star Weekend what rule he would change if he were NBA commissioner for a day, he didn’t suggest tweaking in-game regulations. Instead, he wanted more transparency in officiating. “I would probably want to see the refs’ grading system be more public, the same kind of way our stats are shown on a nightly basis,” Curry said. “Not to make their job any harder because it’s a really hard job, 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.”

His point was clear: players are held accountable by stats, film, and public scrutiny—why shouldn’t referees face the same level of transparency? Curry may never get the answers he wants, but at least Kerr has an update for us concerned fans about his health.

A relieving update on Stephen Curry

As Curry didn’t return, a nervous sweat could break for fans. Is it a major ailment? So far, very little is available as far as diagnosis. After the game, Steve Kerr did have some updates. “He’s getting the MRI right now,” the Warriors head coach said. However, Kerr did provide some reassurance to his stans.

“He was trying to come back. He thought he might be able to come back, and we just decided not to risk anything. Hopefully, it’s not bad,” Kerr mentioned.

A few positives to take from here. Namely, Stephen Curry feeling like he could return to the game could mean the pain was tolerable at the least. Accepting how his age slows down recovery, the Chef wouldn’t push himself to return only to make more than necessary. But to be fair, maybe with him, the Warriors wouldn’t have had to fight till the very end.

But while fans would want Curry to not be in great pain, Steve Kerr is yet to have a conversation with him. Hence, the extent of the injury can’t be put into perspective at this moment. The coach revealed Curry is having imaging done. The Warriors will cross their fingers and pray there’s nothing majorly wrong with Stephen Curry.

Because while tonight the team displayed a stellar mentality after he went down, his shot-making prowess and court presence will be much-needed components if they wish to take it deep. But beyond the injury, one thing remains just as frustrating: if even players don’t know what’s a foul anymore, isn’t that the real issue?