Ex-Lakers Star Turned Basketball Ref Unravels Decision Behind Choosing Rare Path: “People Think a Referee’s…”

Not just NBA players but even officials face tremendous scrutiny during the NBA season. But for this former teammate of Kobe Bryant, pressure and criticism are no strangers. That’s why he is currently working to become the fourth person to transition from an NBA player to a league official. His reasoning for the move is, interestingly, to counteract the biased calls he faced as an NBA pro.

During an interview on Vlad TV, former Los Angeles Lakers guard Smush Parker was asked about his reason for staying on the hardwood post retirement. Officiating is one of the toughest jobs in the NBA, however, Parker shared that it’s more about one’s personal determination and goals that guide it.

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“I just knew I didn’t want to be a coach or a trainer and I want to become an official,” said the former point guard. “It’s very hard and I’ve learned more about the game of basketball from an officiating standpoint than I did while I was playing,” the 42-year-old admitted.

When the interviewer agreed with Smush by saying, “Well, yeah, I mean, trying to survey the whole court,” he was interrupted by Parker. “Well, no. That’s what a lot of people think. A referee’s job is not to survey the whole court you’re supposed to cover the one-third of a court.” 

Just like many others, Smush Parker was also never fond of the officials during his playing days in the league. Well, he had his own reasons for that. During the conversation, the former Lakers guard explained how he took most of Kobe Bryant’s fouls on him. “They just shifted it over to me…The foul calls that they couldn’t call on Kobe Bryant,” Parker said. Well, it seems that one of Smush Parker’s goals is to ensure the same doesn’t happen to other NBA players. 

A hidden reason behind Smush Parker’s decision to choose basketball officiating

Having played in the NBA, China, Russia, and Greece, Smush Parker learned the different playing styles and soon started to understand how there are more intricate rules to this game. After much thought, Parker then decided to pursue officiating. 

As mentioned before, there might have been another reason that helped him make the decision, if not inspired it. “I wasn’t one of the stars. So, there were a lot of calls that didn’t go in my favor,” revealed Parker in one of his interviews. The former NBA player described that as a referee, he ensures that no such unwritten rules or unfair opportunities are involved. 

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While he mentioned that becoming a referee in the NBA is much more challenging than being a basketball player, he’s putting in the effort and is nowhere close to giving up.