Officiating and the evolution of the game

The NBA has evolved over the years since it was founded in 1946, but one of the most notable differences we have seen is the change in what referees consider fouls and technical fouls. A game that was once won by physically dominating one's opponent is now more of a finesse game as the number of foul calls have increased. A league that was once dominated by big men like Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon now has transformed into a guard-dominated league where teams without a prolific ball handler have little to no chance of winning a title.

And the reason that the league has changed so dramatically has been because of an increased emphasis on respect for the game and its officials, as well as a focus on making the game safer for the players.

In past years, we saw physical bruisers like Dennis Rodman -- who physically and mentally intimidated opponents by harassing them on both ends of the court. Trash talk and physicality were tolerated by officials and embraced by the fans as part of the game. Today, it seems that players cannot so much as contest a call without officials issuing them a technical foul. For many fans who have been watching basketball throughout this transformation, the game and many NBA players seem to have "become soft." This shift in officiating has, in many fans’ opinions, changed the game for the worse.

However, I feel that there have also been many positive aspects to these changes, such as a safer league for the players and also the allowance for smaller, more skilled players to dominate the league. The most obvious benefit of the change in foul calls is that the league is much safer -- there is less risk of serious injuries for its players, allowing many athletes to have long-lasting careers and remain competitive at an older age. Players like Stephen Curry who hang their hat on ball skills and long-range shooting can now flourish in the new NBA where they aren't trying to out-muscle bigger defenders. Now that defenders can no longer hand check on defense, smaller and less athletic players can now have a fighting chance in the NBA.

Not only have these effects changed the game on the court, but they have also changed players' actions off the court. We have seen a number of players fined for talking poorly about officiating, most recently Paul George, who was fined $10,000 for blaming the officiating for the Pacers' loss. There are many benefits to these new officiating changes that have emerged, but many have also upset fans -- leaving the jury out on whether these changes have been for the better or for the worst.