"Get rid of the bulls**t" - Steve Kerr lays down 'happy-medium' for NBA in response to officials catching heat from fans
Time and time again, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr openly expresses his frustrations toward the NBA officials. This is due to the referees making questionable calls during games. Over the years, basketball has evolved from one of the most physical sports into what fans like to call a "soft sport." These days, even the simplest of contacts during a play would get a favorable call from the officials.
Unfortunately for these officials, several people in the league including Steve Kerr aren't fans of these lousy calls. Kerr recently ranted about how officiating is being done in the league. The Warriors coach noticed how the NBA is doing their best to find a compromise for bad officiating. However, in Kerr's eyes, officials should do away from making questionable calls.
"We should have rules that don't allow frankly bulls**t," Kerr said. "That's the happy medium, just don't call the bulls**t. Because frankly we've called the bulls**t for like 10 years and I've talked about it enough this year. ... I think the happy medium is get rid of the bulls**t but call the stuff that's a foul."
Steve Kerr isn't a fan of modern-day officiating
Earlier this month, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared his perspective on how referees should officiate games in today's basketball landscape. While he recognized remarkable progress and advancements made by players over time, he expressed concern that officials may exhibit a bias toward favoring offensive players over defensive ones when making calls.
Steve Kerr noted a prevalent trend in the modern NBA where many players tend to embellish their movements, particularly on the offensive end. He highlighted instances where offensive players exaggerate contact to draw fouls from referees. Additionally, Kerr observed a lax approach toward enforcing rules on ball handling, citing instances where players are allowed to take extra steps while dribbling.
One primary example of Kerr's rants took place back in their Christmas game against the Denver Nuggets. After the Golden State Warriors' 120-114 defeat to the Nuggets on December 25th, Kerr addressed the prevalence of foul calls favoring offensive players. Expressing concern, the Warriors coach criticized the way referees seem to diminish the defensive aspect of the game, allowing offensive players to exploit situations and draw fouls through exaggeration.
In the game, the Warriors were penalized with 23 fouls, with Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP, drawing 12 of them. Kerr expressed frustration at the abundance of free throws awarded during the match, finding it displeasing. While acknowledging the increased strategic acumen of players in today's game, Kerr criticized the perceived overreliance on tactics that exploit the rules to gain an advantage.