Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick called out NBA officials over their treatment of LeBron James, saying the 41-year-old has the “worst whistle” of any star player. “LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen,” a fuming Redick told reporters after the Lakers fell 125-107 to the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Thursday to drop behind 2-0 in their Western Conference semi-final playoff series.
The Lakers were frustrated throughout by the officiating in another bruising, emotional contest, with an irked Austin Reaves and other Lakers players taking the refs to task on court at the end of the game. Redick, who had received a technical foul early in the game for criticizing one referee, noted that James got “clobbered” by Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams on one particular play, but added that the lack of calls against Thunder players who fouled James was nothing new.
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“I’ve been with him two years now,” Redick said. “There’s, again, the smaller guys, because they can be theatrical, they typically draw more fouls than the bigger players that are built like LeBron. It’s hard for them, that he gets clobbered. He got clobbered again tonight a bunch. That’s not like a new thing. That’s not specific to this crew or this series. He gets fouled a lot. (The call) doesn’t happen. He gets hit on the head more than any guy I’ve ever seen.”
Redick said the defending champion Thunder, led by reigning Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are “hard enough to play.” “You’ve got to be able to just call it if they foul, and they do foul.”
Reaves was angered in the fourth quarter when referee John Goble shouted at him as he jockeyed for position before a jump ball. “When we were doing the whole tip-ball, when they were switching spots I wanted to get on the other side because they had a guy on the other side,” Reaves said. “And (Goble) turned around and just yelled in my face. I just thought it was disrespectful. I just didn’t feel like he needed to yell in my face like that.”
The Lakers, still without injured star Luka Doncic, will try to climb back into the best-of-seven series when they host games three and four on Saturday and Monday.
© 2024 AFP
