The Memphis Grizzlies shoot 23 total free throws (as a team) while Steph & Jimmy combine for 31 total attempts together. 🥴

Warriors-Grizzlies Free Throw Fiasco Hits Socials

The NBA’s officiating problem isn’t new—but 2025 is quickly on brand for questionable calls. The latest controversy erupted during last night’s Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies Play-In game, where Jimmy Butler shot a staggering 18 free throws—just five fewer than the entire Memphis team combined, who totaled only 23 attempts.

While Butler’s 38-point performance helped lift the Warriors to a 121–116 win, the disparity in foul calls set social media ablaze. One fan on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Warriors should be losing this game, but NBA referees exist.” Another simply posted, “Refs trying to ruin a great game of basketball.”

While watching the game, it was evident the contact and physicality was embraced on one side and not the other. We genuinely feel bad for Zach Edey. He deserves a call more than Carly Rae! Even Ja Morant couldn’t buy a whistle.

The outrage isn’t isolated. This season has seen a string of eyebrow-raising moments involving officials. In a double-overtime thriller between Denver and Minnesota, a dubious foul on Russell Westbrook gifted the Timberwolves a win—an outcome the league later defended, much to fans’ frustration. And just weeks ago, a blown call halted a fast-break in a tightly contested Grizzlies-Rockets game when officials mistakenly granted Memphis a timeout mid-possession. Charles Barkley summed it up on TNT: “That’s a disgrace. Let the players decide the game.”

Despite the NBA’s Last Two Minute Reports and internal referee grading system, transparency remains elusive. Critics argue the league is quick to acknowledge missed calls but slow to implement change.

With the playoffs looming and tensions rising, the NBA is running out of room for error—literally and figuratively. If the league wants fans to focus on the hardwood drama and not the men in grey shirts, it may be time to blow the whistle on the whistle-blowers themselves.

Should the NBA use some form of a fan-support-committee on questionable fouls, in addition to the refs? Like they used to do in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?