Adam Silver Defending Referees While Announcing Use of AI Stuns Fans – “Shai About to Average 50 Free Throws”

Many have been demanding that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fix the incessant flopping taking place in the playoffs.

Adam Silver Defending Referees While Announcing Use of AI Stuns Fans – “Shai About to Average 50 Free Throws”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver defends officiating (Image via FirstSportz)

After every Oklahoma City Thunder win, the narrative that circulates in the league is about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates’ incessant flopping and foul-baiting. Many have even asked Commissioner Adam Silver to get a hold of the biased officiating before it gets worse.

Fans have labeled this as the game losing its core values whenever the Thunder gets a biased foul. Even some former players have stepped in and called out the league for allowing this to continue.

In the past, Silver has defended the officiating, which ended up drawing a lot of backlash. Now, fans believe that the league might be favoring OKC to win its second crown.

Many have subtly suggested that the league is rigged. Now that the Thunder have taken the lead in the Western Conference Finals, there was no doubt that this matter would be taken straight to the Commissioner.

There’s a difference between selling a call, exaggeration, and a true flop, which is where you are actually fooling the referees… Players are taught to sell calls these days. Can officiating get better? Of course… The officiating is incredible.

Adam Silver said

This was the 64-year-old replying to Pat McAfee‘s question about the incessant flopping. It seems the Commissioner is fine with the state of the officiating and even called it incredible.

Then, he went on to reveal that the league is going to implement the use of AI, which will automatically call out whenever it detects something. It will be akin to how it is used in tennis and in the Premier League.

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Fans troll Adam Silver for defending the officiating, and AI reveal

It is hard to be a Commissioner of a major sports league, as it brings along with it major backlash for anything and everything they do.

Adam Silver is no stranger to it, but once fans realized he was defending the officiating despite the obvious flopping, they were furious. On top of that, when he announced the use of AI in the future, fans were left shaking their heads.

They felt that the combination of these two admissions was about to make the league even more unwatchable. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Adam Silver might be hoping that AI can fix the officiating mistakes that are already happening. But fans are not sure, as the language can be trained, and with the current state of officiating, it might get worse.

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Tyrese Haliburton reveals players are taught to sell fouls

The league has used AI for creative projects in the past. This will be the first time that they will try to mitigate the no-calls. However, when it comes to flopping, Adam Silver mentioned that AI will also help referees make better decisions.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton (Image via WRTV/X)

It’s for sure being taught. I don’t think it’s as much head coach teaching as much it is player development. Even before you get to the NBA, it’s something you naturally work on… It’s now a part of the game.

Tyrese Haliburton said

When he said this, the entire cast of The Pat McAfee Show was left baffled. But then, the Indiana Pacers point guard explained that officiating in the NBA is better than most other leagues.

However, he also wants the extensive flopping to be contained, as that is what is drawing all this negative attention to players and the league.

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