Officiating has always been an issue among NBA players and fans. In the league’s history, there have been countless missed or bad calls that could’ve turned things around. According to Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr., the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has started to consider penalizing referees for their mistakes.
Portis appeared on Thursday’s episode of “Run It Back,” where he hinted at the possibility of the league fining officials for their mistakes. The topic was brought up by former NBA player Chandler Parsons, who asked if the league is considering fining the wrong calls by officials during the final two minutes of action. According to Portis, the conversation with the NBPA happened in December.
“We actually had a call about that,” Portis revealed. “…We had a call with the NBPA and they actually talking about penalizing refs going forward for different things.
“They’re trying to find a way to — if a ref messes up to wait to wait to fine them or wait to do things. It’s getting interesting, we’re in an interesting place right now. I don’t know how this is going to work or whatever.”
Bobby Portis revealed the NBA is considering implementing a fine system for referees when they blow calls 👀 pic.twitter.com/PHPwPzUGrS
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 9, 2025
Over the past few seasons, officials have missed many controversial calls. One example happened during a regular-season matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics in the 2022-23 NBA season. The score was tied at 105, and the Lakers had the final possession with 4.1 seconds left on the clock.
LeBron James got the ball, drove to the left side and attempted to win the game with a layup. As he went up, three defenders tried to stop him. One of the defenders was Jayson Tatum, who made clear contact with James’ arm. However, the Lakers star didn’t get the call and it led to a 125-121 loss.
Milwaukee Bucks star reacts to teammate coming off the bench
The Milwaukee Bucks have gone on a different approach with their starting lineup. The way they want to play with their three key players—Khris Middleton, Damian Lillard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo—is one of the reasons they have to change up their starting lineup.
The coaching staff has opted to bring Middleton off the bench. The veteran forward played his 13th game of the season as the team’s sixth man in their 121-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The three-time All-Star finished with eight points in 20 minutes of action.
After the game, Damian Lillard talked about how it benefits the Milwaukee Bucks’ production.
“I think it just makes us an even stronger team. Khris coming off of surgery and missing some time, we had to get settled a certain way,” Lillard said.
Coming off the bench is nothing new to Middleton as he started his first five games of the season on a minutes restriction. He averaged 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists during that span.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
