A dream of an NBA game without referees

I have a dream, a dream of seeing a real NBA game without referees. A pickup game with just the players making calls themselves. If there is a disagreement, the resolution would be, “We get the next call.”

If you put the Pistons and Celtics on the floor in a pickup game, the foul calls would be more honest. Every pickup game has whiners and guys who would act like they do in a real NBA game–complain every time they are called for a foul because, miraculously, they have NEVER committed a foul. These same guys have never been defended skillfully–NO–they always get fouled. But that would be better than having a game with NBA refs.

At least in the pickup game, things would even out. The peer pressure from the other players would police the whiners and cheap shot guys. If a guy whines too much and makes too many cheap calls, even his own teammates begin to look at him with derision. In the pickup game you would even see players calling fouls on themselves. Amazing! But a better “officiated” game.

This won’t happen, but think of it. We have all been in the gym when it happens that the teams are the two best, most evenly talented teams, and it is a blast to watch, or be in. When a winner is decided, it is not because of referees making home court calls or the stars getting special treatment. The talent prevails.

We had the Dream Team. This would be the Dream Game.