Blamed for Kobe Bryant’s Fouls, Ex-Lakers Star Recalls Turning ‘Scapegoat’ in Harsh Reality Check

Is it true that NBA superstars often escape some evident foul calls? This has been a debate on social media for quite some time. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and others have been crucial in playing defense for their teams, especially down crunch time. But how many times have you seen any of these superstars get fouled out? 

Fans travel many miles and pay exorbitant prices to watch their favorite stars play on the court. Superstars like James, Bryant and Jordan are the ones who have the capacity to pull a crowd. And that might be a reason why the NBA wants to keep them on the hardwood as long as possible. A former Los Angeles Lakers point guard experienced this bias when he played alongside Kobe Bryant.

Read more: “I Fell to My Knees”: Kobe Bryant Beef Forgotten, Ex-Teammate Struggled to Deal With Devastating Revelation

In an interview for Vlad TV, Smush Parker was asked if referees went easy on the Black Mamba to keep the fan engagement higher throughout the game. Parker, who played with the Purple and Gold from 2005 to 2007 replied, “Of course”.

The 42-year-old added, “I can speak of it because I got the brunt of some of the calls that Kobe didn’t…They just shifted it over to me…The foul calls that they couldn’t call on Kobe Bryant”. Parker also believes this is part of keeping the business alive for the NBA. He explained, “They[fans] don’t pay those billions of dollars to see those superstars sit on the bench.”

To be precise, the ultimate control is shifted to the game referees, who are asked to go easy on the star players of the team so that the fans get to see more of them on the court. 

Former NBA referee reveals bitter truth about calling fouls on Kobe Bryant

Tim Donaghy, a former NBA referee, joined famous YouTuber Vlad’s channel for an interview, where he revealed an interesting truth behind the NBA. The 57-year-old shared, “Kobe was in a playoff series with the Phoenix Suns and I forget who the defender was, they call him the ‘Kobe stopper’, and they would show us games previously of plays that fouls weren’t called of this guy holding him.” 

Donaghy openly agreed that the NBA did so to increase the scoring of the games. He continued, “In the next game, they have more freedom of movement and have Kobe Bryant…have the ability to score more points and do well”. Donaghy also put forth Parker’s point, which is that fans come all the way to see a game with high scoring and want their favorite stars to put up 35 points a night. 

Well, looks like this could put an end to the debates but it might also take a hit at the NBA’s reputation. What are your thoughts?

Read more: Kobe Bryant’s Former Teammate Has Bitter Memories of Iconic 81 Point Game: “I Can’t Stomach Watching…”