My Letter to the NBA

Canned Response from the NBA

I am very concerned about the integrity of the NBA and its officiating. It appears that certain players, most notably Karl Malone, receive treatment far more favorable than they deserve. Mr. Malone has a long history of injuring opponents dating back to his college days, when he ended the career of a Rice center with a vicious elbow.

In his NBA years, he has elbowed and kicked so many players that a local columnist wrote "Is anyone else tired of Karl Malone's 'kick jumpers'?" and another called him "The World's Most Dangerous Elbow." I have several photos of Karl Malone hitting other players with his knee, foot, or elbow. A couple of years ago, I watched him go out of his way to step on a fallen Eric Williams in a game against the Celtics. He never shows any remorse, either.

Mr. Malone embarrassed the league many years ago in a Playboy interview, yet you have chosen to ignore his antics through the years. I thought you would finally wise up to this hypocrite when he sent two players to the hospital in the same year, but here it is the 1999-2000 season, and another player had to be carried off the floor after Malone kneed him. It's not an isolated incident, either, since I have a photo of Malone with his knee in rookie Steve Francis' chest as well.

It is hard to take the NBA seriously when I see things like that or his infamous "bear hug" moving picks from the 1996-97 playoffs. He made blocks that year that would have been illegal in the NFL, but the NBA ignored them. (In one, he literally picked up Clyde Drexler in the deciding moments of the Western Conference finals!)

I never take the conspiracy theorists on the net seriously when they suggest collusion in the draft, or special deals with Jerry Buss and Pat Riley, but looking at the officiating some nights, it is easy to picture the NBA as more like the WWF than a real sport.

From: NBAResponder@nba.com
To: ricealum
Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 15:12:24 -0500
Subject: Officiating

Thank you for contacting the National Basketball Association through NBA.com.

Please be assured that NBA officials do not have a preference regarding who wins or loses. Our officials are instructed to make calls without regard to particular players, coaches or teams. The NBA has a commitment to hiring the best officials in professional sports.

Our referees, monitored by the Operations Department, are reviewed and monitored by the league office more than any officiating group in professional sports. We extensively use videotape and on site computers to aid in the overall quality and skills of our staff. All of our new referees are required to attend summer camps for additional instruction.

Thank you for taking the time to write and for your interest in the NBA.