1. "superstar calls" and "rookie calls". why do they exist? a foul is a foul, regadless of who the person is committing the foul or receiving the foul.
Just to play devils advocate, I think the labeling of "superstar calls" and "rookie calls" really puts a preconceived notion in peoples minds, which might in fact change the perception, and make people, perhaps incorrectly, prescribe a cause for the calls.
I won't argue that these calls don't happen. They absolutely do. However, I think I would more accurately call these are "reputation" calls.
Calling an NBA game is incredibly hard. It is just so incredibly fast, and the line is so fine on some of these calls, that it really is impossible for someone to always make the right call when watching them at full speed from the floor. So, just like in many aspects of life, the refs (or their unconscious brains) use the preconcieved notions to help them make the calls.
They review a ton of film, and they know these players. They know which ones have good footwork (and Lebron and Wade both have tremendous footwork), and who has bad footwork. They know who is able to reach in without making contact, and who isn't. They know who is good at establishing position for a charge, and who doesn't.
So, when it comes to make these calls, if it is not an obvious call, these biases rear their head. But it is not because one guy is a superstar, and one guy is a rookie. It is that one guy has shown over and over again that he can make that play cleanly, and another guy hasn't.
Obviously, it is not ideal. We would prefer that they were always "right", but when you are working with humans, this is what you get. Sure, some guys get the benefit of the doubt more than others, but I would argue that benefit of the doubt is earned by showing they are capable of making those plays.
obviously people make mistakes and have preconceived notions....however, can you really, in good faith, say the nba officiating is above average? can you also say, in good faith, that it is consistent?
BTW, "superstar"/"rookie" vs "reputation", its all basically the same thing, just a different label
Honestly, I am not sure its above average. There is nothing to compare it to. I just think it is so much faster than college basketball, that it is hard to compare.
I think there are certainly some refs that are better than others.
Overall I do think its consistent though. I think more often than not they get the calls right, and I think more often than not, the bad calls even themselves out.
Would I like them to be better? Absolutely. Do I think its possible? I am not completely sure of that.
As far as the labels, you are right, they are just labels. But I think labels like that do a lot to influence the perception.
For example, I don't think anyone would call Big Baby drawing a charge call as being a "superstar" call, however, I would argue that he gets those calls the exact same way Lebron gets away with travels. He has built a reputation, and now he gets the benefit of the doubt. But, by just calling them superstar calls, it allows people to then use it as a conspiracy theory that they are made to prop up the superstars, ignoring the fact that there are plenty of non-superstars who get the same preferential treatment.
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