King James is not a fan of the NBA’s Last 2 Minutes report and doesn’t see the need for it. In an interview following Friday’s practice, James said:
It changes absolutely nothing.
Last season the league began releasing reports critiquing the officiating in close games. Specifically the calls made and not made. James continued:
I think it sends a bad message to our fans of thinking the game is only won in the last two minutes. A play in the first quarter is just as important as a play in the last four seconds. That’s how playoff basketball is played, that’s how the game of basketball should be played.
James’ former teammate and good friend Dwayne Wade, echoed the same sentiment. You may recall, Wade was involved in a questionable no call in Game 5 of the Heat/Hornets series. According to Wade:
What does it do? Or maybe I don’t get the definition of what it’s really doing. What are the consequences? What is it doing?
Players unhappy with officiating is par for the course in any sport. And, most sports have expanded replay capabilities to ensure calls are correct. As a player it can be frustrating, particularly in a playoff game where so much is at stake.
Officials are human and will make mistakes. Throughout the course of an NBA playoff game, if you watch closely there will be numerous calls missed on both sides. In the end, they usually balance out. However, the NBA may be doing more harm than good with the late game officiating report. Maybe they should provide more transparency into how games are officiated overall. Provide insight into why some games are allowed to be more physical than others. Just a thought.