Remember the final preseason game with the Lakers’ Luka Doncic and the Kings, when fans were chipping off their nails in the fourth quarter, and one moment sparked a conversation about a topic that has been debated for years. During the third quarter, Doncic absorbed a bump on a drive that went uncalled, drawing reactions from the Lakers’ commentators.

“It was a bump. It was definitely contact,” one commentator noted, highlighting how certain plays go unnoticed depending on a player’s reputation in the league, before the discussion shifted from that single missed call to a broader view of how fouls are often influenced by a player’s standing. Even though it was preseason, the conversation is far from over, and as the regular season kicks off, referees continue to face scrutiny over similar calls.

And it wasn’t just the Lakers-Warriors game causing a stir—Tuesday night’s Rockets-Thunder opener had its own drama. The Thunder edged out Houston 125-124, but fans couldn’t help pointing out a missed moment that could’ve ended the game way earlier.

Kevin Durant, playing for Houston, appeared to call for a timeout at the end of the first overtime, but the refs didn’t catch it. With no timeouts left, a technical foul should’ve been called, giving OKC a chance to win without an extra five minutes.

After the game, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander weighed in, saying he “definitely” thinks KD tried to call the timeout. Still, as he admitted that there is nothing to be done about it now.

For context, here’s who was calling the shots during tonight’s games: In Houston’s close matchup at Oklahoma City, the officiating crew featured Zach Zarba as the crew chief, with Eric Dalen as referee and Jason Goldenberg serving as umpire.

Meanwhile, in the Golden State vs. Lakers game, Tyler Ford led the crew as the chief, joined by JB DeRosa as referee and Phenizee Ransom as umpire.

Fan reactions: When the whistles took over the spotlight

One frustrated fan summed it up perfectly: “We don’t pay to watch the refs…” Starting this season, the NBA’s new 11-year media deal kicks in, running through 2035-36 and worth a whopping $76 billion. The catch? Fans now have to juggle multiple subscriptions and keep track of which platform airs which game.

According to Forbes, accessing all three platforms will cost at least $54 a month for their base versions. If you already have YouTube TV ($83), you’ll get NBC, ABC, and ESPN, but still need Peacock and Amazon Prime for another $24. Add a regional sports network—around $20 a month for seven months—and that’s roughly $76 per month or about $618 a year. And even then, to watch out-of-market games, you’ll still need NBA League Pass at $109.99 for the season.

Another fan joked, “Can the refs please chill on the whistle?? This game will never end at this rate.” But with new technology stepping deeper into the league, it doesn’t look like officiating is going to fade anytime soon. During the preseason, fans got their first glimpse of “automated officiating,” where robotic systems are tracking nearly everything that happens on the court.

To be clear, referees aren’t being replaced; technology is just giving them a helping hand. Instead of six human eyes, there are now countless camera lenses capturing every move and call.

One fan joked, “Looks like the Lakers still have the refs in their back pockets. Some things never change.” Turns out, Draymond Green might agree. During the Warriors’ preseason clash with the Lakers in L.A., things got heated over the whistle count. With LeBron sidelined and Luka resting, the Lakers still managed to dominate the free-throw line—35 attempts compared to Golden State’s mere eight.

That didn’t sit right with Draymond. As Jake LaRavia headed to the line midway through the third quarter, Green finally snapped, shouting, “19 free throws to zero. LeBron James and Luka is on the bench.” And just like that, what was supposed to be a simple preseason tune-up turned into another chapter of the never-ending “Lakers get all the calls” debate.

Another fan laughed, “Idk what the refs smoked before this Lakers game cause that whistle keeps blowing man.” Well, it didn’t take long for Draymond Green to make headlines. Again! In classic Draymond fashion, he picked up the first technical foul of the season, and get this, he wasn’t even on the floor.

As ESPN’s Nick Friedell wrote on X, “Draymond picks up his first tech of the year — from the bench.” Apparently, he was fuming over a no-call and joined the chorus of Warriors yelling at the refs. But, of course, the officials knew that voice anywhere. Just six and a half minutes into the season opener, the whistle went Draymond’s way. Fans might’ve been left speechless, but at the end of the day, the ref’s word is law.

And one more fan fumed, “Lakers Warriors game officiating has to be one of the worst. Every possession a foul is called.” But honestly, that fan probably missed the real chaos that unfolded in the WNBA this year.

Things completely blew up during Game 3 of the Lynx’s semifinals. Napheesa Collier went down after a hard collision that somehow didn’t draw a foul, and head coach Cheryl Reeve absolutely lost it. She had to be held back, got tossed with 21 seconds left, and later doubled down in a fiery, expletive-filled presser that earned her a suspension for Game 4. With both their leader and Collier sidelined, the Lynx couldn’t recover. But the fallout didn’t stop; Collier kept the issue alive, pulling even the WNBA commissioner into the storm that followed.