Of the handful of NBA players that have complained about growing tensions with the officials this year, Draymond Green has been the most outspoken. Green said earlier this month that NBA referees are “ruining the game,” that things have gotten “personal,” and that one possible solution would be to replacing the current NBA officials with an “entire new crop.”
Green’s comments (which he was fined 25K for), and those of other players throughout the league, has led the NBA to set up a meeting at All-Star weekend between players and officials to address the “rising tensions.” It hasn’t officially been announced if Green will attend this meeting, but he was asked by Rod Brooks on Thursday what points he would want to get across to the referees during the sit down.
Here’s what he had to say:
“I think for me it’s more so the way you approach the game,” Green began “I think sometimes officials may come into the game and you can possibly see that that day, that guy doesn’t want to be bothered. And doesn’t want to be bothered with anybody. It’s not just like ‘oh he doesn’t want to talk to Draymond,’ like you may see Steph go up and it’s like an official shuts him out.
“Just like us they have lives outside of basketball too. There may be something that you went through during your day that kind’ve irritated you the rest of the day, but as players we are not allowed to carry that on the floor. It messes up your performance, it may alter your attitude which may get you thrown out of a game. You’re just not allowed to carry what happens to you off the court on the court.
“I would say the same thing to the officials. Sometimes it seems like some of you guys may come in and something bothered you that day, and the challenge will be, just like we do, leave that off the floor and try to come in with a clear mind.
“Now in saying that, we’re all human right?…We all have emotions we all have feelings. So it’s not that they’re going to come into a game necessarily with a complete clear mind, but I think if you make a conscious effort at that — which they may, I’m not sure — it would just be something that I would point out. To make a conscious effort at doing that as good as possible. Like I said it affects some of us players too.”
Green currently leads the NBA in technical fouls with 11, but isn’t the only high profile player to voice his frustration with the officiating this year. Carmelo Anthony said on Monday that he is “done with the refs” after Russell Westbrook earned two quick technical fouls in a game against the Kings. In the 11 games that day, 21 technical fouls were issued. Chris Paul also made a crack at the expense of official Scott Foster after receiving a technical foul that same day, sarcastically saying “There’s history there. Scott, you the man. That’s who they pay to see.”
Listen to the full interview below. To hear Draymond on the officials, skip to 7:45.