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NBA Boss Talks About Basketball Referees After Complaints

May 27, 2026 · Newsweek

Adam Silver says officials do a great job but admits they can get better.

Basketball fans are upset about how referees make calls during NBA games. Many people think some players fake getting hurt to trick the refs. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talked about these problems on a popular TV show this week. He said the referees do an amazing job but can always improve.

The biggest complaints came after a playoff game between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder won the game 127-114, but fans said the referees made some bad calls. Three calls in the third quarter made people very angry. The refs missed a goaltending call against Oklahoma City.

Many fans also say Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets too many calls by falling down on purpose. This is called 'flopping' and some people think it's cheating. Silver talked about this problem on 'The Pat McAfee Show.' He said there's a difference between selling a call with drama and really fooling the referees.

The NBA boss admitted that referees can get fooled sometimes. But he also said the league is always working to make officiating better. Silver announced that the NBA wants to use computers and cameras to help make calls. This system would be like the one used in tennis matches.

Can officiating get better? Of course.

Comprehension quiz preview

1. What was the final score of the Thunder vs. Spurs game mentioned in the article?

  • AThunder won 114-127
  • BSpurs won 127-114
  • CThunder won 127-114
  • DSpurs won 114-127

2. How many free throws did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander make in the game?

  • A15 out of 17
  • B16 out of 17
  • C17 out of 17
  • D14 out of 17

3. Which TV show did Adam Silver appear on to discuss officiating?

  • AThe Sports Show
  • BNBA Tonight
  • CThe Basketball Hour
  • DThe Pat McAfee Show

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