I could see a rule against intimidating behavior towards officials. But this seems to be a rule against players expressing themselves about foul calls, and I think that's wrong in too many ways to list. It goes against the tradition of basketball; basketball is a game of free spirits, a game where the athletes themselves define the game and set the tone, where there is still room for individuality, where the sport itself is ultimately a form of expression. When we think of the great players, we think, above all, about their STYLE. Dr. J vs. Larry Bird: that was a contrast of two human beings expressing their skills, their personalities, even their ways of looking at the world, on the court. Basketball is Paul Pierce, he of the deceptive moves and personal grit, against Lebron James, the prefab star. It's about a team ethos against a team with an overblown sense of entitlement. It's not like NFL football, where everything seems sliced and diced and every player is judged by how well he fits into a slot. Basketball players create their own slots.
I don't doubt that player went too far in harassing the refs, and maybe a rule to calm that down made sense. But this rule itself goes way too far. It makes the refs Rulers of the court. They should never be that.
And really, it's very insulting to the players. These are grown men being told they cannot talk, being treated like kids in grammar school. I don't understand why fans aren't outraged by this. What ever happened to the old idea that we are 'living in a free country'? Does no one believe in that at all, anymore. Yes, I know, there's a contradictory saw that says 'a workplace is not a democracy', which is also valid to a degree. Just because you enter a workplace doesn't mean you lose your freedom as soon as you walk through the door. Restrictions on freedom in the workplace should only be as NECESSARY. This no-arguing rule goes way too far.
The rule about logos, eg. Rondo's headband, is equally ridiculous. I think fans ought to let the NBA know, every chance they get, that we don't like these impositions on the freedom of players. Let them be. You know, if the maker of celtic headbands doesn't like the way Rondo wears the headband, let them put the logo so it faces both ways. Stop with the rules that demean players. The way I see it, when the players are demeaned, we fans are demeaned too.
