There isn't one single official in the NBA playoffs who would make that call. If they did, you can bet they'd be fast-tracked out of the playoffs.

Having said that, I think Russell "over-emphasized" the contact a bit.

Is this what they refer to as "the pro call"?

No call
 

I watched the replay from both angles they showed a few times to see if there should have been a foul called. I thought there was a bit of a flop there. I wouldn't have called it either. It's true, though, that Reggie gets away with more than that normally, but I still thought it was clean enough to let it go.

This was a flop. Reggie Miller couldn't knock Lindsay Hunter down if he had a 2-by-4.

The funnier thing happened about a minute before that, when Richard Hamilton had two fistfuls of Miller jersey, not letting him come off a screen, Danny Crawford called a foul on Hamilton, his 6th. Larry Brown basically blamed the refs for losing this game for the Pistons on that call. Huh? That was the easiest call all night.

Reggie doesn't get by the Pistons, much less the Heat.

I'm with Jurassic on this one. The NBA is just sports entertainment.

All sports are entertainment. High School sports are entertainment. If it was not entertainment, why are people attending games that are not related to the players or personal friends? Sport is entertainment in all forms. Some sports are more entertaining than others. The rules of basketball are set out so the game is fun to watch and play. If you think it was not about entertainment, why are their TV timeouts in basketball built in to the rules of the game?

Peace

JRut:
Maybe I should clarify my statement of sports entertainment. My reference was that the NBA deviates from what I call the "true spirit" of basketball in its purest sense.

No matter how you clarify your statement, the reality is all basketball is nothing like it was first created. That includes all levels of basketball. The fact that we have a 3 point line at every level is a perfect example. I have no problem if someone says they do not like the NBA game. But to make it sound like there is anything less pure is laughable. Then again that is my opinion.

Peace

I'm usually in agreement with you on your opinions and philosophies, JRut, but I've gotta beg to differ on this one. IMHO, high school and college ball is a 'purer' form of basketball than the NBA. I don't think that the arc under the basket helps the integrity of the game. I also don't think that the way physical play is allowed in the NBA is in the true spirit of the game. I think NBA rules are set up to make the product more marketable, not to improve the quality of the game.

What's "purer"? I could argue "purer" means a jump ball after every basket, not all this running in and out of bounds every chance you get. It's all what you're used to. The physical play in the NBA is because the players are bigger, faster, and stronger than other levels, so of course there's going to be more physical play. The same reasoning applies to the contact allowed in a HS game is far more than what would be allowed in a 6th grade girl's game. As for the rules being set up to make the product more marketable, isn't that almost saying the same thing as improving the quality? The NBA is not the same thing as 6th grade girls, and everything else in-between, because the players and their skill levels are different. Maybe people enjoy watching the type of game that's closest to their own skill level (or perceived skill level;))

Maybe that's why I enjoy watching. . . .wait for it. . . .sixth grade girls basketball so much!

If you ever sit down and read the NF Handbook, you will find many rules that were in place that do not resemble today’s game. That has nothing to do with the NBA that has to do with game evolving over time. The NBA rules are for men that are at the top of their game. The rules are not for kids just starting to play or learn the game. All pro leagues have things in the rules that make the game easier to watch. That even includes the NCAA and NF rules. As it relates to physical play, all levels are becoming more physical. More teams are playing defense than they did even in the 80s.

Peace

The Pistons beat the Pacers tonight in Game 6 and Reggie is done. They gave him a nice ovation when he left the game with about 15 seconds left and one of the coaches even took a timeout so that they could have a little more time for it.

However, I did find it a bit odd that after the game one of the officials went up to Reggie and paid his respects just as many of the players were doing. While I realize that the NBA is a profession and all of the people involved are part of the show for the paying fans, which makes the coaches, players, and officials all co-workers when you think about it, to me the official's actions were out of character with the neutral role of the referee. Wouldn't it have been better to meet Reggie in the hallway and thank him there out of view of all of the TV cameras and spectators?

I also noticed the official paying his respects to Reggie, I don't remember which official it was, but he has been in the league for most if not all of Reggie's career. I don't have a problem with him doing what he did at the NBA level of play. I believe they are all professionals and something like this doesn't change my opinion on the officials and how they approach the game.

This was just the official bidding farewell to one of the game's great players, since he probably won't get invited to the retirement party.