When it came to officiating in the NBA last season, the Lakers were in a league of their own. According to Tom Haberstroh’s analysis on The Finder, the Purple and Gold secured the top average RefScore among all 30 NBA teams.
What set the Lakers apart? They had the luxury of encountering rookie referees the fewest times, just seven instances, the lowest total across the league. In stark contrast, the Jazz faced rookie referees a staggering 23 times during the same season.
The Lakers’ unique treatment didn’t end there. They also stood out by having more referees who officiated the 2022 NBA Finals than any other team, with a total of 61 appearances. In essence, the NBA seemed to treat Lakers regular-season games as if they were playoff contests.
