One main theme for the 2017-18 NBA season has been the relationship between NBA players, coaches and the referees. Top talents like LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been outspoken about a lack of foul calls and coaches like J.B. Bickerstaff and Mike Malone have challenged the rulings of some refs. You can now add another All-Star to that list.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Paul George has now also opened up about the treatment he and the other two members of the Thunder big three, Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, receive from the referees.
Following comes from Royce Young of ESPN.
Paul George was frustrated a number of times after hard rim attacks with a lot of contact and no call, saying he, Westbrook and Melo are “officiated differently.” pic.twitter.com/Rcdkwp9zwZ
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) February 27, 2018
“It’s tough. We’re so aggressive; we play at the rim constantly,” George said. “We’re just officiated differently, all three of us. And it’s tough. At least one of us [should] get the benefit of the doubt. But when we’re on that floor, no one is getting the better side of that whistle. But we’re going to keep attacking, we’re going to keep being aggressive. That’s our job, to put pressure on them. At some point it’s gotta work out for us.”
“Yeah, I do. I do,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said when asked whether he sees George not getting a lot of calls. “Same thing with Russell, too. Those guys are aggressive players, and listen, there are calls that are missed, there just are. He’s gotten fouled, and he’s not getting to the line. I think the same thing can be said for Russell. And I’m not trying to get into, like, every single play call, but as much as those two guys are in the lane, they need to be at the free throw line more than they’re at the free throw line, in my opinion.”
