Reggie Jackson: NBA referees should face stiff punishment for bad calls

The Detroit Pistons felt rather aggrieved over how their series against Cleveland was officiated, and Reggie Jackson thinks bad refereeing should be met with stiff consequences.

Jackson felt he was fouled on the last play of the game, but no whistle came and the Pistons fell 100-98 to the Cavaliers in the fourth and final game of the series. In response, he argued that referees should be subject to the same punishments that players are.

“Fines, suspensions, being fired,” Jackson said, via Aaron McMann of MLive. “The same thing that happens to us. Make bad plays or questionable (calls), you’re not really being productive to the sport. They should have consequences, just like the players. That’s about (all) I’m going to say on that.”

Check out the play that Jackson feels he was fouled on.

Cavaliers sweep Pistons & Reggie Jackson left begging for whistle after missing potential game-winner at buzzer pic.twitter.com/NDBjjzgwtR

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 25, 2016

There is contact, but it would have been a tough call on Kyrie Irving, and it’s never going to get whistled in the last ten seconds of a game.

The thing is, the NBA does fine and suspend officials for repeated failures. Just check out this story from a former referee. They just don’t make a big show out of doing it. There already are consequences. Jackson had a tough time with the referees in the Cleveland series, and losing a playoff series is never fun, but this is how the game is played.