"Make 'em call a foul. Stop whining, stop complaining" - Shaquille O'Neal sends a strong message to Julius Randle after the New York Knicks big's rant against the referees
Shaquille O'Neal has advised Julius Randle to keep working hard if he wants to excel rather than complain about bad officiating. The All-Star forward attempted only two free throws in the 35 minutes he played, which is strange for Julius Randle considering the big man's aggressive nature inside the paint.
After the game against the Nets, Randle ranted about how he felt about the officiating. Speaking about the same in the interview, he said:
"I don't know what they are watching or what they are seeing, but you gotta ask them. Like you said, as aggressive as I play attacking the paint you know I can't be penalized for just being stronger than people and that's the answer that I got today...They said because certain contact doesn't affect me like it affects other players because I'm stronger, they miss the calls."
Julius Randle said he got this explanation from a referee tonight for missed calls on fouls and it "pisses [him] off even more"
"They said because certain contact doesn't affect me, like it affects other players because I'm stronger, they miss the calls" https://t.co/uwgqHP0pBQ
Shaquille O'Neal, who himself was one of the most dominant players in the league, had a very useful message for Julius Randle, which he delivered during his appearance in the NBA on TNT show. The message went as:
"Listen Mr. Julius, nobody rooting for Goliath, nobody cares. So I am saying this to say that, Play through it big man. You are correct, you are strong, you are not going to get calls, they are not going to slow the game down for us. So what you gotta do, big dog, is make them call a foul. When you got them down the block, punish em. Somebody reaching, just take this bow [elbow] right here and just lift it up three to four inches."
"Play through it, big man."
@SHAQ has a message for Julius Randle following the Knicks' loss to the Nets. #InsideTheNBA https://t.co/QVhQhWiq5a
These words made complete sense coming out of Shaq, as the Big man attracted a lot of attention in the paint and kept making trips to the free throw line. He continued his message for Julius Randle by saying:
"You just gotta keep playing. Remember nobody roots for Goliath, nobody cares, the little guys don't care, they don't care about us big guys. But you can do it, other big guys did it and you can do it, stop whining, stop complaining, they don't care, they're not going to give you the calls, but that's okay just play through it big dog."
Julius Randle is just one of many stars to be complaining about the officiating this season
Julius Randle criticizing bad officiating is just one of the many instances where an NBA star has expressed disappointment on the decision laid down by the referees. Players like James Harden, Trae Young, Anthony Davis, LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and finally Julius Randle have all come out and said what they felt about the officiating.
“Ima be a ref when i’m done hooping and show y’all how to ref”
- LaMelo 😂
(h/t @AhnFireDigital )
https://t.co/HNQRpd3Hkp
With the NBA changing the rules laid down in the offensive playbook, trips to the free throw line have been reduced. Players like Harden and Trae Young, who seem to have mastered the craft of attracting free throws, have had no luck in that department this year. Harden is averaging only 7.0 free throws per game, the lowest for him since his days with the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Trae is averaging only 5.7 free throws per game, the lowest for him since his rookie season.
NBA collective bargaining agreement stipulates this referee is now banished from the league https://t.co/2D052yztMp
Players calling out referees after a game is not something new in the league. However, this is happening a whole lot more this season. If this continues, the NBA would certainly have to come up with solutions so as to maintain the credibility of the league and for a better game of basketball.
Also Read: How much do NBA referees make?