In the wake of controversial officiating calls and an incident involving Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s brother, the NBA has come under scrutiny.
In Philadelphia, the 76ers are fuming after they believe they were denied a victory in Game 2 of their playoff series against the New York Knicks. The league has since admitted that Tyrese Maxey was fouled twice before the Knicks took the lead with a 3-pointer, and that 76ers coach Nick Nurse attempted to call two timeouts that were not granted.
Meanwhile, in Denver, police are investigating an incident in which Jokic’s brother was seen punching a fan after the Nuggets’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The incident occurred just after the Nuggets completed their comeback from a 20-point deficit to take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.
And in Los Angeles, LeBron James expressed his frustration with the NBA’s replay center after a controversial foul call against the Lakers in their loss to the Nuggets. James, whose team heads back to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday facing a 2-0 deficit, said he doesn’t understand what’s going on in the replay center.
The NBA has a lot to answer for in the wake of these recent incidents. The league’s officiating has been under fire for years, and the Jokic incident is a black eye for the league. James’ comments about the replay center are also a cause for concern.
The NBA needs to take a hard look at itself and make some changes. The league’s reputation is on the line.
