Issues between the officials and the players have always been present. In recent years, players have become more vocal in criticizing or calling out what they perceive as poor officiating.
Phoenix Suns’ star Devin Booker is the latest in the long line of players to call out the referees and point out where he feels they’re lacking.
Devin Booker Cites His Own Experience As He Points Out Where NBA Officiating Can Improve
It’s a well-known fact among players and fans that players tend to be officiated differently from their peers. Certain players appear to be viewed through different lenses by referees, depending on their tendencies, which leads to inconsistent calls being made throughout games.
Booker called out these inconsistencies after he was asked how the officiating can improve across the league.
“Just consistency in the game,” Booker said regarding how referees can improve. He then went on to share his personal experiences with how calls are being made differently.
“One of my big problems is I watch all the games mostly every night and expect to get similar calls to people that have the same usage rate as me, but that’s not the case,” he said. “But in the game with the referee crew that you have, I think if similar plays happen on both sides, they should be called or not called.”
Suns’ Devin Booker on how the officiating can be better:
“Just consistency in the game. One of my big problems is I watch all the games mostly every night and expect to get similar calls to people that have the same usage rate as me, but that’s not the case. But in the game with… pic.twitter.com/bNiqaHnr1Q
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 22, 2025
The Suns’ star also had a critical opinion of the NBA’s L2M (Last Two Minutes) Report. According to him, the L2M needs to be scrapped since it does nothing but frustrate the players.
These comments stem from an incorrect no-call in the final seconds of the Warriors-Suns matchup last Saturday. With just under ten seconds left, the Warriors had a 117-116 lead and possession of the ball.
Golden State managed to inbound the ball to Stephen Curry, and as he received it, Booker tried to foul him intentionally. However, no whistles were blown, and in the ensuing confusion, Curry managed to get a wide-open lay-up to ice the game.
When the league released the L2M, they confirmed that a foul should have been called as Booker made illegal contact with Curry.
Booker also went on to call out the referees for doing a “poor job,” which he felt directly contributed to the loss.
