It's hard to do, because when watching an NBA game, everybody's attention is always on wherever the basketball itself goes -- but if you can block that out for just a few minutes and pay close attention to the NBA refs -- I dare say you might be impressed. These guys are not only good -- they do things that most fans never even notice.
For decades the NBA only employed two refs in each game. They dabbled with adding a third ref in the late 70's, but it wasn't until the 1988-89 season that they made it permanent. And though most times it still goes largely unnoticed by the viewing public, that just might have been the smartest thing they've ever done.
Now is the perfect time to check it out because NBA refs are graded on their performance during the regular season and, at least theoretically, only those with the best results get to officiate in the playoffs. It's a murky and shadowy world as to where these refs come from in the first place, and how much they make; nobody but the inner-circle of the NBA knows for sure, and they guard that secret like the Pentagon would guard the details of a new bomber in the works. Seniority, nepotism, favoritism, and perhaps even notoriety might enter in, but for the most part, the more important the games become, the more the cream rises to the top in the world of NBA refs.
Mute your TV, ignore the game itself for a couple minutes, and watch what these guys do. Up and down the court they'll go with the action, but they always form a moving triangle for three different views of what's going on. Besides things the fans notice, mostly stoppages in play for various violations, these refs make subtle calls on almost every play, mostly with hand gestures, even as the action continues. The coaches and players see it, but most fans don't. Ever wonder why those same coaches and players react immediately to a call, before the TV announcers, the fans in the stands, and the viewing public, even knows what happened? Because they're tuned in to what most of us never notice with the refs. One of them made the call immediately, but most of us remain focused on the players.
There's something else NBA refs do that's even more subtle. If you watch closely, you'll notice that after a break in the action, be it for a foul, time out, commercial, etc., they will have rotated positions in their "triangle". All three are equally adept at all three "positions" in a very fast paced game.
[Idle thought -- why not have major league umpires change bases every inning? They'd probably welcome the change, and rotating umps behind the plate calling balls and strikes might just be a good thing]
NBA refs certainly don't expend as much energy on the court as the players but, then again, they don't get to sit down either. Are they as physically fit and tough as their NHL brethren? Of course not. Yet they likely put in a a few miles during the course of each game, which is a whole lot more impressive than some fat, obnoxious guy standing around third base waiting for an argument for 3 hours as a major league umpire.
Do they "blow" a call here and there? Of course. They're human. Could some be biased towards or against a particular team? After all, these guys have a home town somewhere -- another closely guarded secret -- and they're not robots, so that's a possibility. But I doubt it. They're just as professional as the players. Most players grow up somewhere, go to college somewhere else, and get drafted by a pro team in yet another part of the country. Throw in trades and free agency over the years, and few wind up with any real loyalty to anybody. It's a business, and they'll tell you that. It's probably even worse for the refs. They get shipped all over the continent every few days. After a while, they likely get numb to it all and just want to do their jobs.
Given the constant pressure, verbal abuse from players, coaches, and fans, and the constant scrutiny they're under from the ever-present all-seeing eye of the media -- they're not only good.
They're outstanding.
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