The National Basketball Referees Association wants the NBA to stop publishing its Last Two-Minute Reports because they will "cause more harm than good for the officials and the game," according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY. The Last Two-Minute Reports, which "detail accurate and inaccurate calls and non-calls in all games within five points in the final two minutes of regulation and during overtime, have been a topic of discussion during the playoffs." NBA Exec VP/Communications Mike Bass said, "We understand the referee union's desire to protect its members, but the fact is that in today's world, transparency is necessary for any organization." Zillgitt notes the reports are "part of the league's effort to be more transparent." NBA Exec VP/Basketball Operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is a "big believer in full transparency, and ... a big believer in education." VanDeWeghe: "Our fans want to know as well. They want to understand why a call was made, what the rule was and how we viewed it. Was it correct or incorrect?" Silver prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals last week said that he "remains strongly behind the publication of the reports." However, the NBRA believes the transparency "does nothing to change the outcome of the game" and "encourages anger and hostility towards NBA officials" (USA TODAY, 6/8). ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk noted the NBRA "suggests changes to the 'L2M' process that include identifying and revealing the qualifications of the individuals who review and edit the reports." The NBRA also wants to see the rules "interpreted the same way as the referees are 'instructed by the league on how to interpret the rules' while also establishing an appeal process" (ESPN.com, 6/7).
