Does NBA really put the refs above the law?

mikhail1973 · Jul 25, 2007

Here's the article from NY Times. Since it is a paid subscription, I was able to get a copy from a blog:

In a black suit and blue tie, wearing the colors of bruises, the typically grand David Stern arrived at a mic yesterday with the reduced look of an image viewed through binocular bottoms.

He was not haughty and pithy, but haunted and meek. He was not himself. Stern spoke softly — often with awkward pauses — as he explained what the N.B.A. knew of the F.B.I.’s investigation into whether the referee Tim Donaghy fixed games over the past two seasons.

greenpagan

buddahfan · Jul 25, 2007

The author of that article either chosen to forget about NBA history, just ignore it or he has never taken the time to learn it.

If you know anything at all about NBA history from its inception up until the time that Stern took over as Commish then you would better understand where Stern is coming from.

I am not saying that that makes him correct in his attitude, but we get a lot further in life by trying to understand why a person is acting the way that they are rather than just dumping on their actions carte blanche.

NYPistonFan729 · Jul 25, 2007

buddahfan said: ↑

The author of that article either chosen to forget about NBA history, just ignore it or he has never taken the time to learn it.

If you know anything at all about NBA history from its inception up until the time that Stern took over as Commish then you would better understand where Stern is coming from.

I am not saying that that makes him correct in his attitude, but we get a lot further in life by trying to understand why a person is acting the way that they are rather than just dumping on their actions carte blanche.

Please clarify. Thanks

mikhail1973 · Jul 25, 2007

NYPistonFan729 said: ↑

Please clarify. Thanks

It would definitely be helpful. I moved to the US in 1992 and at that point started getting familiar with NBA since the information on US basketball was really scarse other than a few game scores here and there.

max · Jul 25, 2007

I agree with article, where were these guys until now?

Guys like that used to tell us to stop whining about the calls.

roscoe36 · Jul 25, 2007

Since it is a paid subscription, the article has been truncated.

buddahfan · Jul 26, 2007

NYPistonFan729 said: ↑

Please clarify. Thanks

Crawford reached the NBA in 1977 and worked his first game as part of a two-man crew with veteran Jack Madden. "I was 25 years old, totally petrified and totally (expletive) stupid," he said. "Jack just kept telling me, 'Don't worry, you'll get through it. I'll get you there.'

"That's the way it was in those days. There was no manual like there is today. There was no program for officials. We had none of the constant video review of today. You just went out there with with guys like Madden and Earl Strom and Joe Gushue and Jake O'Donnell. You followed their lead, tried to make them happy."

NBA referee is whistling a different tune | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Six years into his NBA career, Strom had worked every playoff game in the semi-finals and finals along with Rudolph.[12] In fact, the former was assigned to any seventh and deciding game in a series during this time.[12] He was also involved in one of the most memorable moments in NBA history during the 1965 Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. In the seventh and final game, the 76ers trailed the Celtics 110-109 with five seconds left. The 76ers had possession of the ball and attempted to inbound the pass as the Celtics' John Havlicek tipped the pass thrown by Hal Greer and preserved the Celtics victory. Celtics' radio announcer Johnny Most made his most fabled call: "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball!"[13] And all this while, Strom had officiated the game in a cast as he had broken his hand while punching a fan during an altercation at a game the previous night.[14]

In another significant moment in his officiating career, Strom was saved from an angry mob by legendary center Wilt Chamberlain during a game played in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-1960s. Strom had made a call that went against the St. Louis Hawks and at halftime was called a "gutless bastard" by Hawks general manager Irv Gack at the scorer's table. The fiery official asked Gack to repeat the comment as he reached across the table and grabbed Gack by the shirt. Fans started coming down from the seats while Chamberlain, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers at the time, saw what was going on. He stepped across the table, picked Strom up and said, "C'mon Earl. Let's get the hell out of here."[15]

Earl Strom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The game was at Boston and the Celtics were way ahead, ready to win the title. Red [Auerbach] pulled [Bill] Russell and sent in Lovellette, who thought he was going to put on a show for the Boston fans. Clyde was bumping Wilt, throwing some elbows. Wilt said, 'Look, Clyde, the game is over. You guys are the champs. We just want to get out of here. So cut that crap out or I'll knock you out.' Lovellette never saw Wilt hit anybody, so he figured Wilt wouldn't do it. With about 25 seconds left, Wilt caught a pass in the pivot and Clyde stuck him with an elbow. Wilt turned, put the ball on the floor, then reared back and punched Lovellette in the jaw. Clyde went down in sections, he was out cold....The Boston players came onto the court, but none of them were going near Wilt. Red yelled to me, 'I want Wilt out of the game.' I said, 'Red, get this stiff [Lovellette] out of here so we can finish the game.'"

Wilt did not get tossed from the game nor fined or suspended for this.

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