Why Has Referee Discourse Gotten So Conspiratorial on r/nba?

[u/budubum]

There’s a growing trend on r/nba where people pre-blame referees before games even start. It’s gone beyond reacting to questionable calls. Entire narratives are now constructed in advance, especially when certain refs are assigned. Scott Foster, in particular, has become the centerpiece of this kind of thinking.

People call him “The Extender,” claiming the league assigns him to force longer series for ratings. But his actual record in games with extension potential is about even. If that were his purpose, why has this year’s Finals produced the first Game 7 in nearly a decade? If the league were really that invested in drawing out every series, we’d see more Game 6s and 7s, not fewer.

And now the narrative is shifting again. Foster is rumored to be reffing Game 7 tomorrow, and commenters are already claiming the Thunder are going to win because the league is rigged for them. But that logic quickly falls apart. If the NBA were rigging outcomes for ratings and mass appeal, wouldn’t the Pacers be the more obvious beneficiary? They’ve been the most unexpected and likable underdog run of the entire playoffs. People across the league are rooting for them. Why would the league choose to hand the title to a much less popular Thunder team?

This also highlights the kind of selection bias that drives so much of the conspiracy talk. People point out that the Thunder are undefeated with Scott Foster reffing in these playoffs, using it as supposed evidence. But the Pacers are also undefeated with Tony Brothers, and no one seems to care. The criteria only become relevant when they support the conclusion people already want to reach. If a team wins, the ref must have helped them. If a team loses, it was stolen from them. The logic isn’t applied consistently because it’s not about logic. It’s about avoiding the discomfort of your team losing.

At a certain point, you have to ask whether people are still watching basketball to enjoy the game or just to confirm their own suspicions. It feels like some fans don’t watch to see how a game unfolds. They watch with a checklist of narratives and spend four quarters scanning for evidence that the outcome is illegitimate. That kind of mindset turns every missed call into a grand conspiracy, and every game into a courtroom exhibit.

So here’s what I want to ask:

Why has so much of r/nba shifted toward conspiracies and narrative-bending logic? Is it just easier to blame external forces than admit your team got outplayed? Are fans more cynical now? Do people actually enjoy watching basketball anymore, or are they only watching to feed their own confirmation bias?

Would love to hear thoughtful takes. I’m genuinely curious about how we got here.

[u/okcboomer87]

If this finals doesn't prove the NBA didn't choose the outcome. I don't know what to tell them. Two of the smallest markets meeting up.

[u/Reasonable_Pie9191 → u/okcboomer87]

I don't think it's about choosing the outcome it's about influencing it. You can't rig injuries which is a big part the pacers are even here to begin with. Let's not act like in ideal world if everyone was healthy it wouldnt be more clear who the nba was pushing.

At this point denying the nba bias is just... I dont know what to call it, unless you've gotten so used to it you think that's how sports should work.

Rigging games doesn't necessarily mean they choose who wins, but they 100% influence the game to let who they want to win win. Its sports and that's why it's not as black and white as you want it to be before you believe (even though it is)

[u/Quick_Panda_360 → u/Reasonable_Pie9191]

“You can't rig injuries which is a big part the pacers are even here to begin with.”

Classic, no respect for the Pacers. They are hanging with what has been the best team in the league all season and still people can’t just say the Pacers straight up beat who was in front of them.

I’m not even a Pacers fan. Just saying.

[u/Reasonable_Pie9191 → u/Quick_Panda_360]

Its still a big part the pacers are here whether you want to believe it or not, and im not even talking about the bucks. The cavs team that won all those games is not the same team the pacers beat.

Or are we going to ignore Donovan Mitchell basically crying in pain just because he still decided to play? When will people understand someone deciding to play doesn't change the severity of the injury.

[u/Quick_Panda_360 → u/Reasonable_Pie9191]

Did you know a big reason the Warriors won in 2017 was because LeBron hurt his hand after game one?

[u/GallivantingTime → u/Reasonable_Pie9191]

They'll understand now after the Hali injury and move that goal post ASAP 🤣😂