“It Wasn’t Me!” These NBA Players’ Reactions To Referee Calls Are Hilarious
Referees are always getting calls wrong which is frustrating for players, coaches, and fans alike. In fact, in a March 7, 2018 game where the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic by one point, the league admitted a mistake. According to a league report, the Magic should have retained possession on the sideline at the nearest spot because the ball was still in the air when the clock expired.
While bad calls happen, at least we have these hilarious pictures of athletes' reactions to make up for it. You have to see James Harden's look of disbelief.
"I Did No Such Thing!"
Hall of Fame power forward Tim Duncan doesn't typically express himself much on the court. "The Big Fundamental" just plays ball. Since complaints from Duncan are almost like witnessing a unicorn, this picture is even better. As you see, he does not like what the referee called.
Just Clap It Up
Draymond Green is a feisty player. He's been known to kick opposing players in their private parts. He's had shouting matches with referees. There's pretty much nothing Green hasn't done. But to see him applaud a referee? Now that's a show of pure patience. But when any player claps instead of complains, they are actually furious deep down.
There are more Warriors with hilarious reactions still to come...
It Was Him!
Jon Henson looks ticked off. It seems like he is yelling, "It was him!" While he complains and tries to make his case, the referee is just standing there, hand on hip, not giving a care in the world. From the looks of it, Henson's teammate is really to get back to playing.
Even The Coach Can't Believe It
Here, Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibideau and player Jamal Crawford stand baffled in front of the referee. Thibideau looks more upset than the player! Whatever the referee called must have been bad, but Thibideau is known to be expressive.
You've Got To Be Kidding Me
Rising star Brandon Ingram of the Los Angeles Lakers is another player who keeps his mouth shut. He hardly talks during interviews and doesn't say much on the floor either. So whatever this referee could have called against him must have caused Ingram to take offense.
Harden Can't Believe It
James Harden is a top-five player in the NBA. He makes people foul him more than he gets called for fouls. So whenever the referee blows their whistle on him, he instantly becomes perplexed. Harden thinks he's innocent every time so when he complains the opposing fans love it.
A Golden Complaint
What could the Golden State Warriors have done wrong here? The referee made a call that was so bad in their eye that three of their main players had the same reaction. Meanwhile, the OKC player on his bottom looks up with a slight grin on his face.
Don't Mess With Sheed Pt. 1
Imagine Draymond Green but ten times worse. That's Rasheed Wallace. The power forward never holds back when speaking up. He throws tantrums regularly. And here we see him ready to fight for the right call, literally. What was this referee thinking?
Don't Mess With Sheed Pt. 2
This is Rasheed Wallace in his purest form; always questioning the referees. Wallace could have made it as an actor with all the faces he's capable of producing. Nine times out of ten, his calls aren't reversed, so he just looks like an angry man yelling at referees.
The Mamba Gets Got
Kobe Bryant is the loser in this situation. If you know anything about Bryant then you know he hates to lose. You can see it all over his face that he was disgruntled with this referee's decision. The fan behind him couldn't even believe it.
You Have The Right To Remain Calm
J.J. Barea is one of the smaller players on the court. The NBA has him listed at 6' 0", but that's being generous. Whenever he gets upset, it's slightly more pleasing to watch because he looks like a child playing amongst men. Think about any time you've seen a small boy yell at an adult...that's Barea!
Curry Makes A Run For It
Every superstar complains about a call at some point. How they choose to react is the fun part. Here you can see that Stephen Curry was ready to make a run for it after the whistle blew. Whatever happened or didn't happen must have got him excited.
"Hold Me Back!"
When you're this upset at the referee, sometimes you need to be restrained. As you see here, Robin Lopez had more than a few words for this NBA official. His teammate had to hold him back out of fear he might retaliate with physical force. Lopez ended up being ejected from this game, but not before mouthing off.
Bulging Eyes From Parker
Tony Parker hilariously can't understand what went wrong. There's a player on the floor, and the referee has just called something. Most of the time if the other player is on the ground, the player who is standing up committed the foul. Parker knows this but still decides to plead his case.
Shock In Philly
Philadelphia 76ers player Robert Covington is in shock. Judging by the hand signals the referee makes, it looks like possession of the ball switched to the other team. Covington doesn't agree with this and looks like he is about to use the restroom mid-sentence.
Watch Your Mouth!
Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady isn't typically expressive on the court. But when this situation presented itself, McGrady didn't hold back his emotions. This referee inspired some questionable words that the cameraman caught at the perfect moment.
Bad Call On A Big Man
By the looks of how loaded the arena is, this easily could have been a playoff game. When there is a significant game, and the referee makes a bad call, then the reactions from the players are that much better. It looks like Tyler Hansborough just watched his dog run away from him.
LeBron Needs A Moment[caption caption="ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 30: Tyronn Lue and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers react towards referee Tony Brown after James was charged with a foul against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 30, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)" align="alignnone" id="attachment_61911" width="1024"][/caption]
LeBron James and his coach Tyrone Lue are in disbelief. The referee almost has a look of accomplishment as if he planned on making these two upset. James can't even look in the referee's direction. That is a real sign of disgust. What exactly went wrong here?
Be Gone Headband
Legend Allen Iverson is not the one to mess with. Maybe that's why this referee isn't even looking his way. Iverson is ready to snatch off his headband and get crazy. The astonished look on his face most likely turned to sassiness and gave Iverson a permanent attitude for the rest of that game.
Bad Call Sad Coach
We know that the players get heated at the referees, but the coaches take part as well. In this edition of comical responses to referees, coach Mike Brown tries to contain himself. We've all made this face when we've had to hold back from saying something we might regret.
