Ex-NBA Ref Says Superstar Treatment Is a Myth — 'They Know How to Play'

Derek Richardson spent 28 years officiating in the NBA, working 1,540 games before retiring in 2025. He has heard the whispers about "superstar treatment" for Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. He says the theory is wrong.

"No, because number one, every play gets reviewed, and if I'm in the bottom-third, they are not even considering me for the playoffs," Richardson explained on an episode of Byron Scott's Fast Break podcast, per www.basketballnetwork.net.

"So people think that we give Mike, Kobe, LeBron, these preferential treatments instead of just one simple thing: they know how to play."

Richardson's logic is blunt. Referees are graded on every call, and the ones who miss too many don't work when the stakes rise. The pressure is on the official to get it right, not to protect a star's reputation.

The exact date of the podcast episode has not been confirmed, but the message is clear from a man who spent nearly three decades calling games at the highest level.

WHY REFS CAN'T PLAY FAVORITES

Richardson explained on the podcast that every play gets reviewed, and officials ranked in the bottom third are not even considered for playoff assignments. That creates a straightforward incentive: call the game correctly, or lose the biggest stages of the season.

The performance-based system puts the pressure on referees to be accurate, not to protect a star's reputation. With so much scrutiny on each whistle, favoring a name like Jordan or James would be a fast way to end up watching the postseason from home.

The source notes that officials are highly trained professionals who carry significant pressure, as one bad call could affect a legacy-defining loss or career-altering defeat. Yet when they do their jobs well, they rarely get credit and sometimes face accusations of bias.

Richardson's comments directly challenge the long-held fan belief that the league's biggest names get calls or no-calls in their favor. He frames officiating as a thankless job where referees are graded harshly and second-guessed constantly.