Coming off a shocking end to the NBA Cup quarterfinal between the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors this week, the NBA Referees account on X posted a long message warning fans of the consequences of what it called “threats of violence” against officials and their families.
In the message, the account posted an alleged screenshot of a fan direct-messaging the wife of an NBA referee that “your husband should be publicly executed” and the fan hoping the couple’s son passed away from cancer.
“No one should ever have to read a message like this,” the NBA Referees account wrote. “Yet, family members of NBA referees have been subjected to hateful and despicable messages like this far too often. This behavior is unacceptable, and we refuse to allow the anonymity of direct messages to shield those responsible.”
No one should ever have to read a message like this. Yet, family members of NBA referees have been subjected to hateful and despicable messages like this far too often. This behavior is unacceptable, and we refuse to allow the anonymity of direct messages to shield those… pic.twitter.com/Er0G2tSGsZ
— NBA Referees (@OfficialNBARefs) December 12, 2024
The account continued that “threats of violence” are “intolerable” while highlighting a “troubling rise” in violent language toward referees and their families.
“Public statements that go beyond constructive criticism, or overt aggression on the court, can embolden individuals to threaten and commit acts of harm against us and our families,” the account wrote.
The post did not specifically reference the NBA Cup ending (which led Charles Barkley to blame the officials), in which referees sent Rockets guard Jalen Green to the free-throw line after a fight over a loose ball near the final buzzer. But on a near-daily basis, there are moments within games that send fans and viewers into fits of rage-posting.
Between the rise of social media and the growth of legal sports betting, fans arguably are more likely than ever to come out aggressively against officials along with athletes and coaches. For years, athletes have sounded the alarm on the messages they get online. Now, referees are doing the same.
