Refereeing in the NBA is a tough, often thankless job. Every night, tens of thousands of fans pack arenas to watch their favorite teams and players go head-to-head. But what often goes unnoticed is the crucial role the men and women in black and white play in the game.
Just like players go onto the court with a host of different play calls in their heads, referees step onto the hardwood having to ensure they’re well-versed with the 75-page rule book that governs competition — that is before we get into the distance they cover getting up and down the floor to keep up with play.
On the latest episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, Dave DuFour and Zena Keita were joined by The Athletic’s Shakeia Taylor following her recent deep dive into the NBA’s referee crisis. Shakeia elaborated on the problems with the league’s rulebook, and how RefMasters – an app launched by league officials James Williams and Kane Fitzgerald – is helping to educate up-and-coming referees.
Dave and Zena also discussed the Golden State Warriors (40-29) getting back to winning ways without Steph Curry in the lineup, after their 104-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (38-30) as Jimmy Butler led them with 24 points. They also examined the Cleveland Cavaliers (56-12) dropping their second straight game after a 132-119 loss to the L.A. Clippers (39-30), with Kawhi Leonard tying his season-high of 33 points.
Watch the full episode of “NBA Daily” below or on the YouTube channel, or via the “NBA Daily” podcast feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
(Top Photo: Jim Poorten / NBAE via Getty Images)
.webp?ssl=1 "Esteban Ocon thinks Haas can be ‘dangerous’ in 2026 as Ollie Bearman points to ‘big factor’ for all teams")
