I am watching the Lakers/Nuggets game right now and I am remembering the one major problem that I have with the NBA. I am sure that you can guess it is the officiating. Yes, I know. This is nothing new. Most people have this argument, too, and they say the same things over and over, but tonight I have noticed something new. This game has shown me two things: even more evidence to prove how bad the refs are and how some teams can get a fair shake.
Here is what I noticed. I just watched Kobe Bryant send a Nugget player flying with a shove in the back to snag a rebound. It was ridiculous and right in front of the ref. I am also a Jazz fan and I get tired of seeing Kobe go to the line 20 to 25 times every time they play. I get tired of the refs changing the way they call a game depending on who the player is. It is obvious. It is so obvious that even the non-sports-fan can see it. I don't understand it. Rules are rules so they should be the same for everyone, besides you don't see it happening in any other sport. When was the last time you saw strikes that were called balls for A-Rod at the plate or a Holding penalty called just because it was Sean Mariman rushing the passer? It just doesn't happen in other sports. So why in basketball?
Well tonight I saw something that I have never seen before. I saw someone playing great, tough, physical defense on Kobe and they weren't getting fouls called on them. I was amazed. I didn't think it could happen, until I realized who was playing the defense. It was Carmello Anthony! One super star playing against another. So I began to think about game one and how he did it then too. Then it came to me that the only way you will ever see fair ref-ing with any of those players that are of Kobe's caliber, is when another superstar is guarding them. It is simply because David Stern and the NBA do not want their stars to foul out of the games, so if Carmelo is guarding Kobe then he isn't going to get the ticky-tack phantom calls on him that everyone else gets.
So from here on out if I am an opposing coach, playing the Lakers, Cavs, Heat, Nuggets, or any team with a super start, at critical times or even during good chunks of the game I am going to put my super star on theirs. I recognize they aren't going to stop players like Kobe and Lebron from scoring, but what it will do is not give them those fat presents they receive from the refs all night long. And well if you don't have a super star on your team to guard the other teams star, then good luck. You probably won't win anyway. So coaches put your stars on their stars, because until the boy genius David Stern finally makes a change, this will be the only way to get fair game.
