Part 4: Great, Now Will Adam Silver Fix David Stern's Officiating Problem?

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Great, now will Adam Silver fix David Stern's officiating problem?





Adam Silver was concise and direct in dealing with his first crisis... will be bring the same levity to his second? (AP)
Print John Canzano | JohnCanzano@iCloud.com By John Canzano | JohnCanzano@iCloud.com
on April 30, 2014 at 2:03 PM, updated April 30, 2014 at 3:11 PM




CANZANO IN DEPTH: NBA OFFICIATING
Does the NBA want us to believe in its officials or not?
Part 1: Ex-NBA official Tim Donaghy tuned into Blazers-Rockets
Part 2: NBA says percentage of correct officiating calls 'up in the 80s'
NBA commissioner says expansion of instant replay on table
Part 3: 'Joey Crawford' is trending on Twitter -- why the NBA wishes he weren't
Part 4: Great, now will Adam Silver fix David Stern's officiating problem?
Part 5: Punching out Joey Crawford, and the issues on NBA officiating




PART FOUR: HOUSTON -- The NBA Finals is the league's culminating event, and long-time referee Mike Mathis didn't want a blown call late in a key game to determine a championship. In fact, while calling 12 Finals the now-retired official admits that he worked outside league rules to devise a plan to ensure he got things right.

Hold that thought.

If we've learned anything watching NBA commissioner Adam Silver deftly navigate his first big crisis on the job this week, it's that he might also be the perfect guy to rectify the league's longest-running problem -- officiating.

Last week, Silver gave us the first hint that his tenure might be different than that of his more-rigid predecessor, David Stern, when he told reporters that an expansion of authority when it came to instant replay was "inevitable." This came as a surprise to some in the league office. In fact, hours earlier Stern-appointee and NBA's chief of operations Rod Thorn told The Oregonian that he didn't think an expansion of replay made sense.

Silver's message: I have some fresh thoughts.

If Silver really wants to gain insight into how replay might be improved, and also, infuse more trust in his officials he might enlist Mathis and long-time television broadcasters to see how replay was accomplished successfully behind Stern's back.

"I went to Hubie Brown one time," Mathis said. "I said, 'We're not allowed to use replay but before I'm going to let someone lose an NBA championship, I'm going to get my crew around me and I'm going to look over at you' -- who has probably looked at the play six times by then -- 'and all I want you to do is nod.'"

The ABC basketball analyst assisted Mathis and his crew on close calls.

Said Mathis: "Did I use instant replay to make the call? No. I didn't. But I really did."

Trail Blazers television analyst Mike Rice said he's also seen officials turn his way at times during his broadcasting career, looking for help on a play.

"Sometimes you just nod or point one way or the other," Rice said.

Bill Worrell became voice of the Houston Rockets in the 1986-87 season. Worrell said he too, had a standing arrangement with NBA officials to help sort out tricky plays.

"You have to be honest with them, either way," Worrell said. "I generally helped because you knew they were trying to get the play right. Also, if you mislead them, they'll remember it."

The NBA instituted instant replay before the 2002-03 season to review last-second shots and fouls at the end of each half. It took nine years for the league to approve its first modifications, ones that some veteran officials were already making on their own.

"When David came into the league," Worrell said, "he inherited all these strong officials. They had Earl Strom, Joe Gushue and Ron Garretson. Those guys had that nailed down and the commissioner never really had to get involved. That's all changed.

"Now, Adam's going to have a chance to put his mark on it."

Silver, who has a law degree, worked in five different jobs at the NBA under Stern. Nobody saw the problems better. Nobody is in better position to rectify the league's issues. It's why Tuesday’s news conference felt so refreshing even as his decision to ban Sterling for life was a no-brainer.

Two former NBA executives who worked under Stern insist you preserved your job in his cabinet by keeping your head down in the meetings he ran. One said working for Stern was the most trying job of his career.

"'Collaborative' not a word to describe David J. Stern," said the second, a former league-office executive.

Stern was called by his initials -- "DJS" -- around the NBA offices.

They refer to Silver as "Adam."

There are other notable differences between the two commissioners. Stern could be long-winded and condescending. He had a reputation as a blowhard. Silver is more tactful, and direct, but also extremely economical with his words. When he opened the floor to questions on Tuesday, he was asked by a reporter if he expected a fight from Sterling.

Silver's response: "I have no idea."

That was it. Next question.

Silver also indicated that he'd talked with some of the NBA owners, and leaned heavily on others in making his decision, including a consultation with Doug Sosnik, former political director of the Clinton White House. Sterling's issues were well documented before the release of that audio recording. Silver inherited one of Stern's problem owners there.

Officiating should be Silver's next big fix.

The league hasn't recovered from the Tim Donaghy scandal. The perception exists that officials such as Joey Crawford, who became the story again on Tuesday when he interrupted a potential Kevin Durant game-tying free-throw, operate without enough guidance. There's a general mistrust of officiating infecting the game, in part, because the old-guard lieutenants refuse to open the doors to transparency.

The veteran officials long ago took matters into their own hands, utilizing instant replay before it was even legal. I'm convinced that this rationale is part of the issue with officiating. There may very well be zero validity to the claims that the games are rigged by the league, but without question, for years we've had humans making subjective calls and trying to regulate the outcome without the tools necessary to do so.

Silver's proven things are changing. But is he willing to take a deep dive into the NBA's officiating issues?

As Mathis said, "There absolutely needs to be accountability."




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