There are certain things the NBA won't stand for, and criticism toward its officials is high on the list.
Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy was recently fined $25,000 for comments made during a sideline interview. He said the refs are not "going to call offensive fouls on (LeBron James), he gets to do what he wants."
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Appearing on Mike & Mike Thursday morning, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked, "Is that worth $25,000?"
"I'll just say, Stan's a great guy and he knows exactly where the line is," Silver responded. "I would just say, look I get it, on one hand we want (coaches) to be authentic and react in the moment when they're interviewed. There's just certain lines they can't cross, and one of those lines is to criticize officiating."
Silver continued by saying "it's gamesmanship" and that Van Gundy is trying to gain an edge with his words. Essentially, Silver claims the coach is using the media to point out mistakes by the officials in hopes that they change how they call the game.
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"It's impermissible," Silver said. "It's one of those things where we just have to stop it as soon as we see it. We have to draw a bright line there. Because, from a competitive standpoint, the other coaches will see that... (and) every other team will feel they're at a competitive disadvantage."
After his pregame comments Wednesday, Van Gundy joked, "I don't think I got in any trouble with that interview."
