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The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t happy with the officiating after their Game 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals – and head coach JJ Redick made sure everyone knew it.
Los Angeles was whistled for 26 fouls in the contest, compared to just 21 against Oklahoma City. The Thunder shot five more free throws on their way to a 125-107 victory.
Redick Calls Out Officiating After Game 2 Loss
Redick took particular issue with how referees handled superstar LeBron James throughout the game. His comments after the final whistle were pointed.
“LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen.”
—JJ Redick on LeBron James not getting foul calls pic.twitter.com/kBbtBhALI1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 8, 2026
He also took aim at Oklahoma City’s defensive style more broadly. “I sarcastically said the other day, they’re the most disruptive team without fouling,” Redick said. “I mean, they have a few guys that foul on every possession. They’re hard enough to play. You’ve got to be able to just call them if they foul, and they do foul.”
That frustration extends specifically to how James – a four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer – gets treated at the line compared to smaller players.
It’s a point Redick clearly feels strongly about.
“The smaller guys, because they can be theatric, they typically draw more fouls, and the bigger players that are built like LeBron, it’s hard for them,” Redick continued. “He gets clobbered. He got clobbered again tonight a bunch. And that’s not like a new thing. That’s not specific to this crew or this series. The guy gets hit on the head more than any player I’ve seen on drives, and it rarely gets called.”
A Fair Point – With Some Caveats
There’s something to what Redick is saying. Referees do miss calls on James partly because of how physically imposing he is – contact that would floor a smaller guard barely registers when a 6’9″, 250-pound player absorbs it.
But James has also built a well-known reputation for selling contact to draw calls. Claiming he has the worst whistle of any star in the league is a stretch – particularly when players like Tyrese Maxey exist and routinely struggle to get to the line despite constant contact.
Redick’s frustration is understandable. His team is down 2-0 in the series. But the argument doesn’t quite hold up.
