The Los Angeles Lakers are down 2-0 in their playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder and they're mad about it. Specifically, they're mad about the officiating.
Guard Austin Reaves and head coach JJ Reddick were very critical of the refs for supposedly not calling enough fouls, especially for star forward LeBron James. Golden State Warriors fans can’t help but laugh at this given the history with their own superstar.
Warriors fans have had to watch Stephen Curry draw fewer fouls than other star players for years, making Redick's claim that James has the “worst whistle” of any star player in the NBA is pretty laughable.
Lakers are being dramatic and petty with laughable claims about refs
James was pretty tight lipped and has not criticized the refs in the same way, but Warriors fans have watched him complain for years and demand a call if another player so much as breathes on him. He’s a flopper and at times can be a whiner, and it’s clear that his behavior is rubbing off on his coach and teammates.
WHOOOOOO IS TWEETING? https://t.co/TFBtnTxfBt
— WarriorsMuse (@WarriorsMuse) May 8, 2026
Reaves even made a big show of confronting the refs after LA’s loss in Game 2. That’s just a pretty weak look and makes it seem like the Lakers are blaming the refs rather than their own play.
Obviously, every team is going to think they don’t get enough calls. There hasn't been coach or player in NBA history say that their team or star player is officiated in a fair fashion.
Yet, it's ironic that all of this has come with the Lakers playing against the Thunder whose star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, is often called a “foul merchant.” He certainly seems to get the benefit of the whistle and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has even talked about how SGA gets a lot of calls go his way.
Perhaps LeBron misses the days when he’d get the calls Gilgeous-Alexander does, or maybe the Lakers are just salty that they’re about to get bounced from the playoffs. It's also possible the Lakers are trying to work the refs for the rest of the series. If they can create a narrative that they're being unfair, perhaps they'll get some more favorable calls going forward.
Either way, it's funny to see the Lakers meltdown and complain about the refereeing, especially when James has been complaining for years about calls. They'll need to re-focus quickly to avoid a quick elimination at the hands of the Thunder.
Add us as a preferred source on Google