LeBron James criticizes referees after Cavs loss to Pacers

LeBron James didn’t care for some of the calls in the Cavaliers loss to the Pacers and criticized a referee after the game which could result in him being fined.

Criticizing officials is as much a part of the NBA as the slam dunk or the pick-and-roll, so it really shouldn’t be a big deal when LeBron James questions the calls of an official, but that’s not case after Chris Paul was fined $25,000 for a similar offense.

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The Los Angeles Clippers All-Star point guard was fined for comments he made earlier in the week when he was critical of a rookie official who happens to be a woman.

Paul’s comments were rather innocent in my opinion and didn’t think there was any sexism behind his comments, but rather frustration, which is nothing out of the ordinary when you think you’re given a foul or technical when you don’t feel it is warranted.

I doubt he’d be fined, at least not to the amount he was if the referee was a man, but LeBron was cognizant of the chances he could be fined after he pointed out to a call that played a huge role in the Cleveland Cavaliers loss on Friday night to the Indiana Pacers.

From Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com:

"“There were plenty of questionable calls in this one. Blatt thought one of the big ones was a reversed call on Matthew Dellavedova. What originally was called a charge was reversed to a blocking foul on Delly when the official at the other end of the court came running over adamant that Delly was in the restricted area.James was also called for an offensive foul with 2:09 left on a basket that should’ve put the Cavs up 91-88. Instead it was going the other way and the Pacers reclaimed the lead on one of Miles’ 3-pointers.”"

After the game James was none too pleased with the judgment shown by the officials and criticized their performance just as Paul did one night earlier.

“It wasn’t a good call,” James said. “I didn’t extend. I just put up an arm bar like a big guy would if he were shooting a jump-hook in the post. … And I thought Delly’s call wasn’t a good call at all.”

Good thing the refs were all male so we wouldn’t have to deal with a firestorm of people calling James a sexist. But will the NBA view his comments in a similar light as they did Paul and fine him? LeBron cut himself short from really delving deeper into the issue, because he doesn’t want the league dipping into his pockets.

“I don’t want to get far in it,” James said with a grin. “I don’t want to get fined for sure.”

Do you think LeBron should be fined for his postgame comments that were critical of the officials?

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