Lakers Players Put Hands Behind Back To Protest Foul Calls Against Rockets

[JD225]

There is nothing more annoying than watching the NBA soap opera that is the complaining of NBA officials by players and coaches. There should be some level of sportsmanship with accepting that the game is over and you don't need to call out officials for errors that 99.9 percent of people officiating the game in real time would make. Maybe accepting an incorrect call against you is hard and you might show emotion at the moment, but any whining that spills over outside the game into interviews and social media is just a strategy designed to get that 'make up call' the next game. That make up call you see in games is sometimes a lot worse than the original call and leads to an endless cycle of make up calls back and forth until the soap opera is over.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Wait...LEBRON is complain about superstars getting every call? Is he.... Is he being serious right now?

[ishoy123]

What is Lebron's first on court lesson for the youngsters in front of the world? To teach them to be passive aggressive when you're having an on-court temper tantrum. I never expected anything less from him...

Lebron hasn't played good defense or made an all defense team since the 2012-2013 season. No reason to pretend he has a right to complain about fouls anymore. He commits them and whines, that's his MO since leaving the Heat.

This is what I was thinking and really shows how the predictions of LBJ stunting the young Lakers are coming true... he's training this group to be whinny b!tches to get wins/calls because he knows they aren't good enough spot up shooters to get him to another finals.
LBJ is going to leave the Lakers in a horrible position when he's done there, just like he's done to Cleveland twice already.

It's a 4 year deal bro

[mplsfonz23]

There is nothing more annoying than watching the NBA soap opera that is the complaining of NBA officials by players and coaches. There should be some level of sportsmanship with accepting that the game is over and you don't need to call out officials for errors that 99.9 percent of people officiating the game in real time would make. Maybe accepting an incorrect call against you is hard and you might show emotion at the moment, but any whining that spills over outside the game into interviews and social media is just a strategy designed to get that 'make up call' the next game. That make up call you see in games is sometimes a lot worse than the original call and leads to an endless cycle of make up calls back and forth until the soap opera is over.

Except that the NBA officials are PAID a lot of money to do that job. They should watch film just like the players and learn the habits of the player who draw the crappy fouls. The leg kick from Harden was totally bogus, and he shouldn't be rewarded for that. What ever happened to the flopping rule?

[mplsfonz23]

Wait...LEBRON is complain about superstars getting every call? Is he.... Is he being serious right now?

I agree he's not the right person to complain. But at the same time, he has a point. The Rockets get away with this every game, and it makes the GAME unwatchable.

[Chi Dynasty12]

I was wondering how the Rockets won

[Pelon chingon]

Lakers complaining about the whistles?! Cry me a river.

[BallerTalk]

Did they also put their hands behind their back while shooting their own free throws?
They missed damn near half their fouls shots (15/27).

They should be protesting that instead of whining about an opponent shooting 5 more free throws.

[JD225]

There is nothing more annoying than watching the NBA soap opera that is the complaining of NBA officials by players and coaches. There should be some level of sportsmanship with accepting that the game is over and you don't need to call out officials for errors that 99.9 percent of people officiating the game in real time would make. Maybe accepting an incorrect call against you is hard and you might show emotion at the moment, but any whining that spills over outside the game into interviews and social media is just a strategy designed to get that 'make up call' the next game. That make up call you see in games is sometimes a lot worse than the original call and leads to an endless cycle of make up calls back and forth until the soap opera is over.

Except that the NBA officials are PAID a lot of money to do that job. They should watch film just like the players and learn the habits of the player who draw the crappy fouls. The leg kick from Harden was totally bogus, and he shouldn't be rewarded for that. What ever happened to the flopping rule?

I agree. I just hate the makeup call in general because refs look to intentionally call something that may or not be there. There is just a huge incentive to whine in the NBA and it's rewarded. That's tolerable in the game but when you hear things like protests or Barnes telling the media he wants to go the FT line more it just further promotes the makeup call and has future refs looking for something that may or not be there. A lot of calls are closer to 70/30 than 90/10 and any bias makes an impact.

To take your example: in my opinion they are more likely to give Lebron a free throw than to properly call Harden's future leg kick. One bad call after another. The correct decision would be to call Harden's future leg kick properly and only give Lebron a free throw if its warranted.

[GMjobZK]

This is a constant problem in the NBA that I don't believe can ever be resolved.

The refs know when they make a mistake and then reward the other team with another bs call the other way 100% of the time. So that right there shows how it's not always called exactly down the middle.

Aside from that, Harden has been known to drive to the hoop with the intention of throwing his body into the defense to get a foul call. This is an OFFENSIVE foul and should be called that way!

Lebron James of all people (and he complains more than any legend I've ever seen) should not be complaining! He gets alot of questionable calls, TRAVELS on EVERY play he makes to the basket with his 3 step traveling that doesn't even get called.

Unless the NBA can find a way to make computerized robotic referees- this issue will always be an issue. The players just need to know how to play within the rules and figure out a way to get an advantage. Clearly, Harden has figured that out.

[dautjazz]

32:27... That's practically the same

And that's never an indication of how the game was called.

Still, no need to be "hands behind back protest" drama Queens.

I disagree, the fouls Harden, Paul, Gordon, etc.. draw are ridiculous. There needs to be an end to it, it's ridiculous that you are supposed to have your hands behind your back to guard them, but you guard any other team with your hands up? I don't watch the Rockets a lot, because I hate watching these guys, but I do feel in the games against the Jazz, that there has been some improvement, I don't recall seeing so many BS calls in their favor. I can't speak for their game vs LAL, because I didn't watch that game, but it wouldn't shock me if it was the case. I remember Mitchell guarding with his hands behind his back in the last game, and being applauded for doing that, I think it's crazy, if I did this in a game, I'd feel like it's lazy defense because I'm not trying to deflect the ball if given a chance, plus you don't look like much a threat since you don't have your arms ready for a block.

[dautjazz]

Lakers complaining about the whistles?! Cry me a river.

Oh damn, I never saw that picture.

[ryanball]

James along with Wade did more to usher in this pathetic era of flopping and foul-seeking than any other players I can think of.

[valrond1]

7:52 in the 3rd quarter. I mean ... Harden travels going backwards and shoots a fading 3 taking off behind the line. Harts feet are well inside the 3 point line. Harden kicks his feet forward and falls down entangling his feet, Hart called for a foul. If they are going to call that a foul and fall for it 1/2 the time what else are opposing players supposed to do? If every player in the league acted like Harden and Paul nobody would even watch. The league doesn't seem to want to fine them for flopping, acting, kicking, etc.. I would just put my 11th player in and when Harden tries that crap just undercut him under his ankles shatter.

Agreed. The Rockets are unwatchable. I have watched every Lakers game this season, but this game I didn't watch, just skipped really fast to see if it was a close ending. It wasn't. And it seems the officiating was as bad as usual. This time the Rockets won because they actually hit the 3s (44% instead of their usual 32%), and all of the BS calls they get.

[firelogic]

Kawhi Leonard gets murdered in the paint and never gets calls. The tech isn't there for computerized foul calling so that won't be a thing for decades. I kind of want street ball rules where blatant fouls are called by the players and everything else you play through. As long as you're not getting punched, kicked, elbowed, slapped, play on. No ticky-tacky fouls killing the momentum of the game.

[mixerball]

And that's never an indication of how the game was called.

Still, no need to be "hands behind back protest" drama Queens.

I disagree, the fouls Harden, Paul, Gordon, etc.. draw are ridiculous. There needs to be an end to it, it's ridiculous that you are supposed to have your hands behind your back to guard them, but you guard any other team with your hands up? I don't watch the Rockets a lot, because I hate watching these guys, but I do feel in the games against the Jazz, that there has been some improvement, I don't recall seeing so many BS calls in their favor. I can't speak for their game vs LAL, because I didn't watch that game, but it wouldn't shock me if it was the case. I remember Mitchell guarding with his hands behind his back in the last game, and being applauded for doing that, I think it's crazy, if I did this in a game, I'd feel like it's lazy defense because I'm not trying to deflect the ball if given a chance, plus you don't look like much a threat since you don't have your arms ready for a block.

no, its lakers and lebron. you dont have to protest anything.

[madmaxmedia]

There's no proof that it was in protest.

As the announcers and Lebron himself have said, it was because they wanted to make sure they didn't foul.

A few years ago in a Clippers-Rockets playoff series, Matt Barnes was defending Harden the same way, not as protest but because he didn't want Harden to instigate a foul. But he had his hands down straight against his sides, it seems weird to actually be holding your hands behind your back. I think it was partly to really defend Harden this way, and partly to try to make a point to the officials.

[Audi]

The Rockets shot 32 free throws on the night, while the Lakers went to the line 27 times.

And they are complaining? Wtf?

Orlando vs Denver the other night:

DEN: 37 FT
ORL: 8 FT

[scopy]

Lebron's Cavaliers vs the Raptors in 2016 playoffs, after the first 3 games the fouls were 73 - 46 in favour of the Cavs. The Raptors had entire quarters without a call lol.

Didn't hear Lebron protesting then.

[scopy]

The Rockets shot 32 free throws on the night, while the Lakers went to the line 27 times.

And they are complaining? Wtf?

Orlando vs Denver the other night:

DEN: 37 FT
ORL: 8 FT

wow lol