LeBron James has often voiced his frustration over inconsistent officiating throughout his legendary career. Whether it’s missed fouls or questionable no-calls, the Lakers’ superstar hasn’t shied away from pointing out how subpar refereeing can sway games. Ironically, though, for young players just entering the NBA, it’s not James who’s getting the short end of the stick—it’s often the other way around.
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During a recent appearance on Ausmerican Aces, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was asked whether playing against LeBron James in the NBA feels surreal to him, and what his ‘welcome to the NBA’ moment was.
Daniels agreed. And he admitted that his official “Welcome to the NBA” moment came courtesy of Bron himself.
Daniels, who was just a few games into his rookie season in 2022, tried to take a charge against the four-time MVP, but it didn’t go well. He said, “I went in to take a charge, and he just ran through me.”
It was a clean charge, according to Dennis, and he believed he deserved the call for that.
Daniels claimed it was a clean charge and believed he deserved the call. However, he quickly realized that a rookie like him wasn’t going to get the benefit of the doubt against a man of James’ stature. He said, “I was like, ‘Yep, this is the LeBron whistle. Like, there’s no way a rookie is getting a call on a 20-year vet.’”
What Daniels meant by the “LeBron James whistle” is that the superstar often receives favorable calls from referees due to his legacy. And he’s not the only youngster to suffer that fate.
Most players describe their welcome-to-the-NBA moment as getting scored on or embarrassed by a veteran, and Daniels’ experience was no different. Still, he took an important lesson from it—and decided not to try taking a charge on James again anytime soon.
While James got lucky that time, he doesn’t always get the calls he deserves.
LeBron James’ furious reaction to no-call against Celtics
The overall quality of officiating in the NBA has declined over the years, as reflected in the growing frustration among players and fan bases across both conferences. Most players in the league have been victims of questionable calls and have called it out publicly. James, too, has criticized the officiating on numerous occasions as well.
In January 2023, during a match between the Lakers and the Celtics, and in the final seconds of regulation, with the score tied at 105-105, the Lakers had the ball and a chance to end the game.
James, with the ball, drove into the paint, only to miss a game-winning layup. He claimed that Jayson Tatum hacked him on the arm and that a foul should have been called.
However, the refs didn’t agree, despite the replay showing that it was a valid ask. A tense moment suddenly turned comical as James started yelling at the refs, spinning around, and slapping the court while being on the floor on his hands and knees.
The Lakers ended up losing the game.
