Redick called his podcast co-host out for complaining about officiating.
LeBron James is done whining about officiating, according to JJ Redick. In Episode 7 of Mind the Game, the former NBA sharpshooter checked in with his podcast co-host when James started griping about the officials during the Lakers’ playoff series against the Nuggets.
James noted that players are usually permitted to be more physical during the postseason, but he quickly clarified that this was not the case during the Nuggets series. Quickly stepping in, Redick said, “Says the guy whose team had the greatest free throw disparity in NBA history the last two seasons.” The remarks made the two men giggle.
That seems all in good fun, but Redick does have a point. This season, the Lakers’ shot 1,983 free throws (which was second in the NBA) compared to 1,476 for their opponents, who had the second-lowest shooting percentage. With rudimentary mathematical knowledge, that equals a difference of 507. This is quite a bit.
An athlete of James’ caliber will always have more wiggle room when it comes to officials than other players. He’s also right that postseason officiating does alter to permit greater contact, allowing players to decide the game on the floor rather than at the free-throw line. The Lakers don’t have much space to object, despite the fact that both teams had numerous grievances with the officiating throughout the Lakers-Nuggets series.
Nevertheless, Redick and James had a hilarious exchange on a podcast that is quickly gaining a lot of popularity.
