During Warriors shootaround on Tuesday, Kevin Durant blasted the revisionist nature of NBA’s two-minute report, specifically referring to the league announcing that referee’s had blown two crucial calls at the end of Golden State’s Christmas Day loss to the Cavaliers. The calls may have sung the result in the Warriors’ favor.
Durant’s primary argument was that the reports throw refs under the bus after the fact, and that once the game is over, no one is benefited by going back and detailing official’s mistakes.
Wednesday morning, the NBA Referees Association came out in agreement with Durant’s comments via Twitter.
We agree with Kevin Durant – the L2M report unfairly targets NBA officials, and reform is needed. https://t.co/aFekGkaxNi pic.twitter.com/lPbhyg5Vt1
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) December 28, 2016
Monday’s two-minute report stated that the referees should’ve called a technical foul on LeBron James for hanging on the rim with 1:44 remaining. More crucially, the refs also should’ve called a foul on Richard Jefferson for tripping Durant with 3.1 seconds left, which would’ve led to free throws that could’ve sealed the game for Golden State.
Here are Durant’s comments from shootaround yesterday:
“I think it’s bulls— that the NBA throws the refs under the bus like that. This happened to be in our favor, it’s not even in our favor – we don’t get the win – but to say that I got fouled and the tech…just move on. You don’t throw the refs under the bus like that, because the next game that group of refs, or whoever it is, they’re going to come out and they’re going to ref the game and they’re going to be tense when they’re reffing the game and they’re going to try to get every play right.”
“They’re going to try to be perfect, without just going out there and relaxing and making the right call,” Durant continued “You can’t fine us for criticizing (and then) throw them under the bus for a two-minute report? What about the first quarter? The second quarter? The third quarter? I think it’s bulls—.”
“They should get rid of it. Our refs don’t deserve that. They’re trying their hardest to get the plays right, and you look at a play in slo-mo and say it’s wrong? I think it’s bulls–t that they do that. It’s full of s–t that you throw the refs under the bus like that after the game, like it matters.”
“The game is over. We’re moving on.”
