Friday, May 24, 2013

"Ball Don't Lie"

Maybe I'm showing my age but it's only been recently that I've been hearing the term "Ball Don't Lie" thrown around.    I read online that the term originated in the NBA and has filtered down to the lower levels.

The term is a reference to a foul called by an official that people feel is unwarranted.   It is used in situations when the offended player shoots and misses their free throws.   It is an insult to the offended player shooting because he didn't deserve the foul.  Additionally, it is bit of a snide remark to officials for making what some people felt was a unwarranted foul call.

Personally, I find it a bit annoying.  It's not the fault of the player that got fouled.  If there is a questionable foul call, it is what it is.  From an officials perspective, It's a way of making a snide remark to the official without directly confronting the official.

I'm not sure what happened to good sportsmanship and respecting an officials call.  NBA players and coaches tend to complain a lot to officials.  A lot of that is shown on TV and thus influences the behavior of many people when they play basketball.   I see it on the courts as a player and an official.

Unfortunately, not a lot you can do about it.  I would ask that people enjoy the NBA game as entertainment but not emulate some of the antics out there.