Is the NBA disgusting to watch? Why does Steve Kerr think so?
The officiating in NBA games came under fire during the game between the Warriors and the Nuggets. Here is what Steve Kerr thought about the match.
Steve Kerr, the coach of the Golden State Warriors, said he had no problems with NBA officiating after his team lost to the Denver Nuggets 120–114 on Christmas Day. He did, however, voice his opinions loudly over the guidelines established for the authorities to follow and called the NBA disgusting to watch.
In Monday’s game, the Nuggets made 32 free throws, with Nikola Jokić recording a career-high 18 of 18 shots. Due to his foul shooting, the two-time NBA MVP finished with 26 points despite being limited to 4 for 12 from the floor.
Steve Kerr’s post-match conference
During his post-game press conference, Kerr had strong opinions on the subject. Kerr while talking about the calls made during the game said, “I have a problem with the way we are legislating defense out of the game. It’s what we’re doing in the NBA. The way we’re teaching the officials, we’re just enabling players to b.s. their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch the second half of that game,” he added. “It was disgusting. It was just baiting refs into calls.”
Stephen Curry talks about the controversial calls
Warriors star Stephen Curry, who received four personal foul calls during the contest, agreed with his coach. Curry talked to reporters and said, “It does cater to the guys who can sell calls. When there’s physicality, it’s tough because it’s inconsistent at times. What’s the tone of the game?” He further said, “Like tonight, you feel like there’s physicality on one side, and then kinda ticky-tack on the other,” he added. “Consistency is key when it comes to understanding how you can defend. It was tough tonight; it slowed the whole game down.”
During the game, Denver had 17 team fouls called to Golden State’s 23. In addition to Curry’s four, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Andrew Wiggins each received five personal fouls. As Jokić’s main defender, Kevon Looney was called for three, which prevented him from having a great shooting game.