Worst Officiated NBA Games

NBA referees have made some terrible calls that altered the course of basketball history.

Worst Officiated NBA Games

Mark Cuban and Joey Crawford — Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is not a big fan of NBA referees.

We’ve seen many iconic moments in the NBA over the years — grudge matches between bitter rivals, Michael Jordan and the Bulls' six world championships, the Golden State Warriors reaching the NBA Finals a record five straight years.

While the NBA's greatest moments are etched in our minds forever, some other memories have stuck with us as well, thanks to the people wearing the zebra shirts.

NBA referees may be the most controversial officials in professional sports, and they have earned their stripes. Often, they make calls they shouldn’t make, or swallow their whistles at the worst possible moment. What a referee does (or doesn’t do) can dictate the outcome of games, playoff series, even NBA titles.

These are the worst of the worst calls in NBA history.

25. Maybe It Wasn’t That Funny

Joey Crawford was an NBA referee for 39 years.

Date: April 16, 2007

Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas

Referee: Joey Crawford

Teams: San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks

Game: Regular season

Result: Mavericks won 91-86

Controversy: Tim Duncan was on the Spurs' bench laughing after a foul call. Crawford called a technical foul on Duncan that led to his ejection since he already had one technical foul called on him earlier in the game.

Bottom line: Joey Crawford became an NBA referee in 1977 and had a 39-year career as an NBA referee. But he is remembered for this infamous incident when he claimed the mild-mannered Duncan used an expletive toward him and mocked the referee. Duncan said Crawford challenged him to a fight.

The NBA thought Crawford overreacted, suspended him for the rest of the season and fined him $100,000 (Duncan was fined $25,000). Commissioner David Stern also made Crawford get therapy. Crawford went to a Park Avenue psychiatrist, who determined the referee wasn't crazy, just "overly passionate about [his] job."

Crawford was reinstated at the start of the following season and continued seeing a famous sports therapist in Philadelphia (Dr. Joel Fish). He never had any more anger issues until he retired in 2016.

24. Pippen Called for a Foul?

Scottie Pippen and Hubert Davis — The Knicks and Bulls had some epic battles in the 1990s.

Date: May 18, 1994

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City

Referee: Hue Hollins

Teams: New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls

Game: Eastern Conference semifinals, Game 5

Result: Knicks won 87-86

Controversy: With the Knicks trailing by one point and 2.1 seconds left, Hubert Davis put up a shot. The ball had left his hands when he was bumped by Scottie Pippen, and Davis missed. Hollins blew the whistle, and Pippen was called for the foul.

Bottom line: Davis was awarded two free throws, which he made, and the Knicks won the game and eventually the series in seven games.

The Bulls did not believe it was a foul and were incensed with the call.

Only Chicago coach Phil Jackson made a statement after the game: "I've seen a lot of things happen in the NBA, but I've never seen anything happen like what happened at the end of the game."

23. Four Blocks and No Foul?

Charles Smith — The Bulls won six NBA championships in the 1990s. The Knicks won none.

Date: June 2, 1993

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City

Referees: Hue Hollins, Mike Mathis, Ed Rush

Teams: Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks

Game: Eastern Conference finals, Game 5

Result: Bulls win 97-94

Controversy: As the game went down to the wire, with the Knicks trailing by one, Charles Smith didn’t have one, or two, or three, but four shots under the basket which were blocked. But he was getting hacked from all sides, and no call was made.

Bottom line: The Bulls took the ball downcourt, B.J. Armstrong scored to seal the win at Madison Square Garden, and the Bulls went on to win the series in six games.

This moment in the Bulls-Bulls rivalry became known as "The Charles Smith Game," though in Smith’s defense, the Knicks missed 15 free throws in the contest.

22. The Elbow Heard Around San Antonio

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich never has been shy about arguing with officials, if necessary.

Date: June 2, 2016

Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio

Referees: Sean Corbin, Marc Davis, Ken Mauer

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs

Game: Western Conference semifinals, Game 2

Result: Thunder win 98-97

Controversy: With 13.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Thunder guard Dion Waiters elbowed Spurs guard Manu Ginobili on the inbound play to give him more space to pass the ball to Kevin Durant. No call by the referees.

Bottom line: Granted, there was plenty of pushing, shoving and pulling on this wild final possession, but it began with Waiters' flying elbow, and had a foul been called on Waiters, the Spurs would have gained possession and a good possibility of a different outcome.

Instead, the Thunder pulled out a pivotal road win, and they went on to knock out the Spurs in six games.

21. Amazing Four-Point Play, Sort Of

Larry Johnson shoots the foul shot that gave the Knicks the win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference finals

Date: June 5, 1999

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City

Referee: Jess Kersey

Teams: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers

Game: Eastern Conference finals, Game 3

Result: Knicks win 92-91

Controversy: Without Patrick Ewing and the Knicks down by three points, Larry Johnson sank an improbable 3-point shot and, in addition, a foul was called on Antonio Davis by Kersey with 5.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Replays, however, showed that there was no contact on Johnson.

Bottom line: Johnson completed the rare and unbelievable four-point play as the crowd at Madison Square Garden went crazy.

The Knicks came away with a victory over the Pacers, ending what many believe was one of the greatest — and most controversial — moments in Knicks history.

20. Team Effort — by the Refs?

Houston Rockets guard James Harden, rear, was not happy with referee Josh Tiven during Game 1 of the 2019 Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors.

Date: April 28, 2019

Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

Referees: Courtney Kirkland, Josh Tiven, Zach Zarba

Teams: Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets

Game: Western Conference semifinals, Game 1

Result: Warriors win 104-100

Controversy: In a game filled with bad calls and no calls, the result came down to the late stages of the game. With the Rockets trailing by three and 10 seconds left, Warriors center Draymond Green made contact with Rockets guard James Harden on a 3-point attempt. The shot was missed, and there was no call from either Kirkland or Tiven, who appeared closest to the play.

Bottom line: What could been for the Rockets. With Harden still laying on the floor, Chris Paul grabbed the offensive rebound, took it back out, ran over Klay Thompson and lost the ball where, again, a no call was made.

The no-call didn’t sit well with Paul, who was called for his second technical foul and ejected. The Warriors wound up winning, but that did not defuse a social media storm by frustrated fans.

Of note, the Warriors went on to win the series in six games.

19. Ejections, Suspensions, Oh My!

Steve Nash and Robert Horry — Who says basketball isn't physical?

Date: May 14, 2007

Location: AT&T Center, San Antonio

Referees: Joe DeRosa, Steve Javie, Jack Nies, plus NBA

Teams: Phoenix Suns vs. San Antonio Spurs

Game: Western Conference semifinals, Game 4

Result: Suns win 104-98

Controversy: The Suns lost two key players, Amar'e Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, after the Spurs’ Robert Horry knocked Suns guard Steve Nash into the scorers table. A mild scuffle ensued, and though Stoudemire and Diaw came off the bench, they were not involved in the scuffle. Yet the officials ejected Stoudemire and Diaw, and they were suspended from Game 5.

Bottom line: Don't want to lose any players? Don't leave the bench during a fight. That's the only way to guarantee referees wouldn't make a mistake.

While Horry was suspended two games for a flagrant foul, the Suns took the brunt with its top player, Stoudemire and his backup, Diaw, not available for Game 5.

Fans felt common sense should have prevailed with no punishment toward Stoudemire or Diaw. Instead, the depleted Suns lost a crucial Game 5, and the Spurs won the series in six games.

18. Leonard Takes a Tumble

Kawhi Leonard — Zaza Pachulia is not a fan favorite in San Antonio.

Date: May 14, 2017

Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Tom Washington

Teams: Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs

Game: Western Conference finals, Game 1

Result: Warriors win 113-111

Controversy: In the third quarter, the Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia appears to stick out his left foot as Spurs star Kawhi Leonard was attempting a 3-point shot. Leonard landed on Pachulia’s foot and re-injured the left ankle he hurt earlier in the game. No call was made against Pachulia.

Bottom line: Leonard’s loss was devastating for the Spurs. He did not return at any point of the series, and the Spurs were swept.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich did not take too kindly to Pachulia’s tactic, saying "A two-step, lead-with-your-foot close-out is not appropriate. It's dangerous. It's unsportsmanlike. It's just not what anybody does to anybody else,’’ hd.

Leonard said he did not think Pachulia intended to injure him.

17. Celtics Get Special Treatment?

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, right, complains about a call to referee Bob Delaney in Game 2 of 2008 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Date: June 8, 2008

Location: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston

Referees: Dan Crawford, Bob Delaney, Ken Mauer

Teams: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Game: NBA Finals, Game 2

Result: Celtics won 108-102

Controversy: Sometimes, a stat sheet can give you a clue about what’s going on. Lakers fans still believe that the Celtics got special treatment in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals, attempting 38 free throws opposed to the Lakers shooting only 10.

Bottom line: Sports rivalries don't get much better than the Celtics-Lakers, and this game added another chapter to the book.

The Celtics wound up outscoring the Lakers by 17 points at the free-throw line, nine by Leon Powe coming off the bench, and Boston took a 2-0 series lead with the win.

Boston went on to capture the world championship in six games, its first NBA title since 1986.

16. Kobe Gets Special Treatment?

Kobe Bryant and Glen Davis — Kobe Bryant had 1,617 free-throw attempts in 220 career playoff games.

Date: June 17, 2010

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles

Referees: Dan Crawford, Joey Crawford, Scott Foster

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

Game: NBA Finals, Game 7

Result: Lakers win 83-79

Controversy: Just to be fair, the Lakers appeared to receive payback from two years prior, as the Lakers star Kobe Bryant was fouled 15, yes, 15 times in the fourth quarter. His trips to the line more than made up for the fact he missed 18 of 24 shots from the field. And he managed to win series MVP honors, to boot.

Bottom line: You've heard of makeup calls in a game. How about a makeup championship for a season?

The Lakers attempted 21 free throws in the fourth quarter of Game 7, although some those trips may have been caused by a Celtics team that appeared to be running out of gas down the stretch.

Still, that’s a lot of whistles going in one team’s favor, and the Lakers wound up winning the NBA title as a result, their 16th.

15. Let’s Go to the Replay

LeBron James and Kevin Durant — One player's disgust is another's "good call."

Date: May 31, 2018

Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

Referees: Tony Brothers, Ken Mauer plus replay booth

Teams: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Game: NBA Finals, Game 1

Result: Warriors won 124-114 in overtime

Controversy: Inside the final minute and the Warriors trailing by two, Warriors star Kevin Durant drove to the hoop. Cavaliers star LeBron James appeared to be outside of the restricted area as Durant drove in. Brothers and Mauer disagreed, but Mauer called a charge. However, they went to the replay anyway, claiming they wanted to see if James was in the restricted area or not, yet they decided James was not stationary, and called a foul on James. It’s still unclear if that was a reviewable call.

Bottom line: The course of history can change in a minute. Ask LeBron James. Durant tied this game 104-104 with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors went on to win in overtime.

Yes, J.R. Smith pulled a blunder and dribbled the ball out to force overtime. However, if the original call had stood, the Cavaliers would have had the lead with a good chance to win and steal Game 1 on the road.

Instead, the Warriors wound up winning the NBA title, their sixth in franchise history and third in four seasons.

14. They Really Missed This One

Rudy Gobert and Paul George — Foul or no foul?

Date: April 27, 2018

Location: Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City

Referees: Scott Foster, Ron Garretson, Eric Lewis

Teams: Utah Jazz vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Game: Western Conference first round, Game 6

Result: Jazz win 96-91

Controversy: Trailing 94-91, Thunder star Paul George did a pump fake at the top of the key before launching a shot from beyond the 3-point arc. The fake got Rudy Gobert in the air. The Jazz center clearly made contact with George on the way down as George rose to shoot. No call was made.

Bottom line: Sometimes, you have to wonder if referees are watching the same game we are. This was one of those times. With Gobert draped over him, George made a desperate attempt to shoot the ball, but it was well short, and the Jazz went on to win the game and advance to the next round.

Meanwhile, Thunder players stood around in amazement and wondered what just happened.

Thunder coach Billy Donovan was not pleased: "[Gobert] clearly ran forward. He clearly banged into him. I don’t want to say it ended our season, but I would have liked Paul George at the [free-throw] line."

13. Brawl Together Now

P.J. Brown and Charlie Ward — There was no love lost between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks in 1997.

Date: May 14, 1997

Location: Miami Arena, Miami

Referee: Dick Bavetta, Nolan Fine, Bill Oakes

Teams: Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

Game: Eastern Conference semifinals, Game 5

Result: Heat win 96-81

Controversy: The NBA blew this one. With the Knicks up 3-1 in the series, the Heat held a comfortable lead late in the fourth quarter to close the gap to 3-2, but a melee led to five Knicks being suspended, and four didn’t have anything to do with the scuffle outside of leaving the bench to be observers and peacekeepers. The league's decision may have cost the Knicks this series.

Bottom line: There's a difference between keeping the peace and shaping history.

The extracurriculars for this game began with the Knicks’ Charles Oakley taking a swing at Alonzo Mourning, and Bavetta ejecting Oakley.

A few seconds later, after Heat guard Tim Hardaway’s second free throw made, Miami forward P.J. Brown threw New York guard Charlie Ward to photographers' row, touching off a melee with Brown and Ward. John Starks, who left the bench, got ejected with Brown and Ward. That was the correct call. However, the league suspended Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson, who were not involved.

The Heat wound up winning the series in seven, winning the final two games.

12. McHale’s Couldn't Save the Celtics

Back troubles limited Larry Bird's effectiveness for the Celtics at the end of his career.

Date: May 17, 1991

Location: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Mich.

Referee: Jack Madden

Teams: Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics

Game: Eastern Conference semifinals, Game 6

Result: Pistons win 117-113 in overtime

Controversy: With the game tied 103-103 and less than a minute to play, Reggie Lewis of the Celtics put up a shot that missed, but Kevin McHale came in for the tip. However, the whistle blew, and Madden called McHale for offensive interference although replays clearly showed McHale’s tip was legal and outside of the cylinder

Bottom line: This series signaled the beginning of the end of the Bird-McHale era for the Celtics.

At one point in Game 6, the Celtics trailed the Pistons by 17 points, but made an amazing comeback. Without McHale’s score, the game went to overtime and the Celtics lost the game and the series.

Bird only played 45 games in the next season and retired from the NBA after the Celtics lost a seven-game Eastern Conference semifinals series loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1992. McHale only played more NBA season after Bird retired.

11. Bulls Leave Boston Dazed and Confused

Brad Miller — Not all fouls are created equal.

Date: April 28, 2009

Location: TD Banknorth Garden, Boston

Referees: Sean Corbin, Joe DeRosa, Mark Wunderlich

Teams: Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls

Game: Eastern Conference first round, Game 5

Result: Celtics won 106-104 in overtime

Controversy: With two seconds left in regulation, the Bulls were trailing by two. Brad Miller had an open layup when he got hit on the side of his face by Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, clearly a flagrant foul, which meant the Bulls could have selected a free-throw shooter and gotten the ball back. Instead, the referees ruled it a shooting foul.

Bottom line: If referees are going to let them play, fine. But don't let them commit assault and battery — and get away with it. That's how Chicago felt after this game.

With Miller dazed and bleeding after his mugging, he missed both free throws, and the Celtics came away with the victory.

NBA Commissioner David Stern supported the referees, although the visual evidence is overwhelming against what the refs called.

10. Lakers Get Help From Their Friends?

Shaquille O'Neal won three straight NBA championships with the Lakers, starting in 2000.

Date: June 4, 2000

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles

Referee: Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans, Steve Javie

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Game: Western Conference finals, Game 7

Result: Lakers win 89-84

Controversy: The Lakers were on the verge of letting a 3-1 series lead get away as the Trail Blazers led by 13 points (71-58) entering the fourth quarter. That’s when a parade of fouls called on Portland occurred, and Los Angeles closed out the game with a 31-13 run .

Bottom line: The Trail Blazers were 12 minutes away winning a Game 7 on the road and making the NBA Finals. Then, fate or Dick Bavetta, Hugh Evans, Steve Javie intervened.

For the game, the Lakers had 37 free-throw attempts compared to 16 for the Blazers, and there are rumors that the referees, namely Bavetta, gave the Lakers some special treatment, according to disgraced referee Tim Donaghy in his book "Blowing The Whistle." You be the judge on this.

The Lakers went on to beat the Indiana Pacers in the finals, the first of three title runs during the Kobe-Shaq era.

9. Joey Crawford Commits a Foul

Date: June 6, 2005

Location: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami

Referee: Joey Crawford

Teams: Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat

Game: Eastern Conference finals, Game 7

Result: Pistons win 88-82

Controversy: With the Heat trailing 82-79 in the fourth quarter, a bad Pistons pass on a fast break was chased down by Miami’s Damon Jones. Crawford came down the court and ran into Jones, causing him to go out of bounds. So what does Crawford do? He calls a foul on Chauncey Billups of the Pistons with 17.3 seconds to play.

Bottom line: Referees are human, and humans make mistakes. And sometimes, refs compound their mistakes.

On the replay, it clearly shows Billups did not make contact with Jones. What was strange was TNT announcer Marv Albert made no mention on the air about Crawford’s collision into Jones.

Crawford did his best, although not on purpose, to lead a late charge by the Heat, but the Pistons wound up prevailing and earning a trip to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.

8. Miami’s Free-Throw Parade

Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson could not believe his eyes during the 2006 NBA Finals.

Dates: June 13, 15, 18, and 20, 2006

Location: AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami) and AmericanAirlines Center (Dallas)

Referees: Dan Crawford, Ken Mauer, Jack Nies (Game 3); Dick Bavetta, Mike Callahan, Bernie Fryer (Game 4); Joey Crawford, Joe DeRosa, Bennett Salvatore (Game 5); Dan Crawford, Steve Javie, Ed Rush (Game 6)

Teams: Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks

Game: NBA Finals, Games 3-6

Results: Heat win 98-96, 98-74, 101-100, and 95-92

Controversy: Yes, this calamity did not occur in just one game, but the majority of the series saw more free throws than we care to mention. A special note goes out to Heat guard Dwayne Wade, who set a record, with help from the referees, for the most free throws in a series with 97, including 25 in Game 5, the same number as the Mavericks' entire team. Wade attempted 73 free throws over the final four games, all won by Miami.

Bottom line: If you don't believe in conspiracy theories, the 2006 NBA Finals might change your mind. Some people think the series was rigged because the Mavericks went from looking like world beaters to beaten.

After taking a 2-0 edge in the series — winning the first two games by a combined 24 points — Dallas disappeared. And it wasn't all self-inflicted, as Miami made its run to winning four straight games and the NBA title from the free-throw line. In the series, the Heat attempted 207 free throws, 52 more than the Mavericks.

Said Mavs owner Mark Cuban, "It will go down in history as the worst officiated finals in the history of the game."

7. This is Really a No-Call?

Tony Parker and Joe Forte — Referees have been known to frustrate teams.

Date: May 27, 2008

Referees: Joey Crawford, Joe Forte, and Mark Wunderlich

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs

Game: Western Conference finals, Game 4

Result: Lakers win 93-91

Controversy: It looked like the perfect scenario to end the game for the Spurs. Spurs guard Brent Barry pulls up for a potential game-winning 3-point shot, does a pump fake, Lakers guard Derek Fisher bites, and is caught up in the air. Fisher lands on Barry as he puts up a brick to the backboard. The referees did not blow their whistles, and allowed the play to stand.

Bottom line: Referees have a lot of power. If a foul was called, Barry would have been at the free-throw line and could have sealed a Spurs victory.

A San Antonio win would have evened the series at two games apiece.

Instead, the Lakers took a commanding 3-1 lead with the victory, and they eventually reached the NBA Finals, where the underdog Detroit Pistons upset them.

6. Suns Rise at the Free-Throw Line

Charles Barkley remains one of the best players to never win an NBA championship.

Year: June 5, 1993

Location: America West Arena, Phoenix

Referees: Dick Bavetta, Mike Mathis, Ed Rush

Teams: Phoenix Suns vs. Seattle SuperSonics

Game: Western Conference finals, Game 7

Result: Suns win 123-110

Controversy: When it comes to a Game 7, you would expect the refs to give two teams equal treatment, and try to stay out of the way. In this case, that did not happen. The Suns wound up shooting 64 free throws, with Charles Barkley getting 22 by himself, and they made a whopping 57 points from the charity stripe, a league record. In comparison, the Sonics made "only" 28 of 36 free throws. How does such a discrepancy happen?

Bottom line: Barkley said this was one of the best games he’s ever played with a 44-point performance. However, 19 of those points came at the free-throw line.

And three Sonics stars — Shawn Kemp, Eddie Johnson and Nate McMillan — fouled out in one of the most lopsided games ever officiated as far as fouls called.

But perhaps in the ultimate case of "ball don't lie," Barkley was unable to get his ring, as his good friend Michael Jordan led the Bulls to their third consecutive NBA title in the 1993 Finals.

5. Let’s Hear It for the Floppers

Miami Heat's LeBron James, right, is fouled by New York Knicks' Amare Stoudemire, left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in Miami, Saturday, April 28, 2012.

Date: April 28, 2012

Location: AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami

Referees: Dan Crawford, Ed Malloy, Gary Zielinski

Teams: Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

Game: Eastern Conference first round, Game 1

Result: Heat win 100-67

Controversy: Due to an abundance of fouls being called on the Knicks, the Heat ended up sailing in the opening game of this playoff series. The officiating was so bad that the Miami Heat attempted 28 free throws — in the first half.

Bottom line: The biggest weapon for the Heat was the art of flopping, and even many observers, including game analyst Jeff Van Gundy, could see the assortment of phantom fouls being called.

"I’m just not gonna say anything anymore," Van Gundy said during the television broadcast, according to Bleacher Report. "You couldn't knock LeBron James over with that much force if you tried."

Klay Thompson tweeted "never respect floppers."

LeBron James scored 11 of his game-high 32 points at the free-throw line, and the Heat routed the Knicks as New York whistled for fouls 26 times. The Heat won this series in five games and added fuel to the idea that the NBA could be rigged.

4. Camby’s Mystery Foul

Marcus Camby has a legitimate question: What foul?

Date: April 26, 2010

Location: US Airways Center, Phoenix

Referee: Joey Crawford

Teams: Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Game: Western Conference first round, Game 5

Result: Suns win 107-88

Controversy: With the series tied at two games apiece and 5:20 left in the third quarter, the Suns leading the Trail Blazers 65-58. Suns guard Steve Nash was about 30 feet from the basket, and Portland Trail Blazers forward Marcus Camby was below the high post, about 15 feet from each other. Nash threw the ball to a teammate. Crawford blew his whistle and called Camby for fouling Nash, even though the two were nowhere near each other.

Bottom line: It gets even better. Because the Suns were in the bonus, Nash was awarded two free throws, which he never should have been given in the first place.

You have to see this replay for yourself. Some have called it the most worst foul call ever, and Crawford had plenty of his ridiculous calls in his career, so that's saying something.

What was worse is that the foul was Camby’s fourth, so he had to leave the game. Portland never recovered and lost the series in six games.

3. Kings Cry Foul

Lakers vs. Kings — The Sacramento Kings could not topple the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002.

Date: May 31, 2002

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles

Referees: Dick Bavetta, Ted Bernhardt, Bob Delaney

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings

Game: Western Conference finals, Game 6

Result: Lakers win 106-102

Controversy: Down three games to two, the two-time NBA champion Lakers were on the brink of elimination against the greatest Kings team of all time. But the referees stepped in, and one foul after another went against Sacramento. The Lakers wound up attempting 27 of their 40 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Bottom line: This series goes down as one of the greatest playoff series in NBA history — despite referee interference.

Still, some plays weren’t called such as Lakers star Kobe Bryant elbowing Kings guard Mike Bibby as he attempted a tying shot. Add everything all up, and you get claims that this game was rigged, a central point to disgraced ref Tim Donaghy’s book.

The Lakers won after outscoring the Kings 34-18 at the free-throw line. Then, Los Angeles won an overtime thriller on the road in Game 7, and went on to win its third straight title.

2. Iconic Moment— or Missed Call?

Michael Jordan and Bryon Russell — Legendary play or illegal push?

Date: June 14, 1998

Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City

Referees: Danny Crawford, Hue Hollins, Dick Bavetta

Teams: Chicago Bulls vs. Utah Jazz

Game: NBA Finals, Game 6

Result: Bulls win 87-86

Controversy: You have seen the iconic shot on numerous replays: Bulls legend Michael Jordan eludes Jazz guard Byron Russell, rises up and drains a 17-foot jumper. What you may not have seen was a push-off by Jordan with his hand on Russell’s hip, causing Russell to slip, just before the epic shot went up.

Bottom line: Russell’s slip gave Jordan the space he needed in the closing seconds to put the Bulls up 87-86 as referees Crawford, Hollins and Bavetta kept their whistles silent.

In 2018, Russell told the Deseret News, "He gave me that extra little push so he could get to his sweet spot." Some say the push was legal. Others think Jordan got away with one.

Either way, after a timeout, John Stockton’s game-winning, 3-point attempt rimmed out, Jordan jumped in the air in celebration, and the Bulls and Jordan claimed their sixth and final NBA championship.

1. Laimbeer's Phantom Foul on Kareem?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — You make the call.

Date: June 19, 1988

Location: The Forum, Inglewood, California

Referee: Hugh Evans

Teams: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons

Game: NBA Finals, Game 6

Result: Lakers win 103-102

Controversy: With the Pistons leading 102-101, Lakers guard Byron Scott fed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the low post, being guarded by Pistons center Bill Laimbeer. Abdul-Jabbar went up for one of his classic skyhooks, and the ball went off the rim. Suddenly, the whistle blows, and Evans assesses Laimbeer with his sixth foul. He stood in sheer disbelief. If you look at the replay, Laimbeer barely touched Abdul-Jabbar, something usually not called at such an important point with the world title on the line.

Bottom line: Abdul-Jabbar made both free throws with 14 seconds left, the Pistons squandered the final possession, and the Lakers won.

The Lakers went on to win Game 7 and the NBA crown, but what if?

Of course, Laimbeer carried that "bad boy" reputation during his career, and may have been a target from the refs, but this call dictated the moment, the rest of the series and perhaps NBA history.